Forever Family
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Five orphans' lives are changed when they meet the Turtles, but can they keep one of their own out of Karai's clutches? First in the Forever Family series.
1. Chapter 1

Forever Family

Chapter 1: Two Wishes

A/N: New year, new semester, new story! Yep, I'm back. However, I must warn you that I may not post as often as I did last semester. The reason for this is because of my homework load and the fact that I have to do a lot of papers. Ah, the joys of college life! No, seriously, I love college. It's just that you guys will have to be patient with me on this. I hope to post on Tuesdays, unless I have a paper due on Thursday. If that's the case, I may not post until Thursday or Tuesday of the following week. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story.

Summary: Five orphans' lives are changed when they meet the Turtles, but can they protect one of their own from Karai's clutches?

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. They are owned by Mirage Studios. I do own the characters not related to the Turtles universe. All flames will be cut up by Leo's katanas, so don't even think about it!

"Guys, hurry!" fifteen-year-old Lisa called to her friends. "We need to go to the store to get these items for Mrs. Jenner, or she'll punish us!"

"Lisa, you worry too much," nine-year-old Kaylee laughed. "We'll be fine. It won't take us long to get the stuff. I just like looking at the toys." She was looking in the window of a toy store, not far from the grocery store.

"Yo, Kay, check this out!" thirteen-year-old Destiny exclaimed. "It's cool!"

"Wow!" Kaylee breathed as she looked at the doll Destiny had spotted. "It's beautiful!"

"I wish we could buy it," eleven-year-old Mariel said wistfully.

"Guys, it's getting dark," seven-year-old Kaia said fearfully. "The gangs might come out and get us." She shivered at the very thought.

"Kai, chill out," Kaylee said. "No one's gonna get us."

"Well, if they don't, Mrs. Jenner will," Lisa warned them. "We need to get going."

Kaylee grumbled that Lisa was a party pooper, and Destiny rolled her eyes. Mariel just sighed and followed Lisa, Kaia, Kaylee, and Destiny.

Although these five girls were very different, they all had one thing in common: They were all orphans. Despite their very different personalities, they all had a very strong bond. No one could tear them apart, and they had already started calling themselves sisters because they were so close.

Lisa was the perfectionist of the group. She had red hair and green eyes that turned dark when she got angry. She always wanted to follow orders and do well in school. She also felt the need to protect the others from harm.

Kaia was the shy one of the group. She had black hair and almond-shaped eyes. She was kind of quiet and sometimes afraid of things. Kaia loved to draw and wanted to be an artist when she grew up. She also loved flowers and wished for a garden of her own. She hated violence and was frightened that something would happen to her or her sisters.

Kaylee was the prankster of the group. She had blond hair and blue eyes that twinkled when she was involved in a prank. She was energetic and loved to watch cartoons and read comic books. Her favorite superheroes were the Justice Force, but the orphanage didn't have those comic books, or any good comic books. She knew about the Justice Force from the commercials on TV and the show that they had.

Destiny was the tough one of the group. She was African-American with dark eyes and hair. She always looked out for her sisters and never let anyone mess with them. She loved to watch sports, especially wrestling. She also loved to play basketball and softball.

Mariel was the intelligent one of the group. She loved to read and wanted to be a doctor when she grew up. If her sisters got into a fight, Mariel would always break it up. She was the one who loved peace and never condoned violence. She also loved science and technology, although she wasn't very skilled at computers yet.

Soon, the girls arrived at Goldfine's Grocery Store. They knew that Mr. and Mrs. Goldfine would help them out. That was how nice they were.

"Do you girls need help?" Mrs. Goldfine asked kindly.

"Not right now, thank you," Lisa said politely.

"Oh, all right," Mrs. Goldfine said. "I'll be at the counter if you need me."

"Okay, thanks," Lisa said with a smile. Then she turned to the other girls. "Okay, we need to spread out to find this stuff. Kaylee, you get the cereal. Mariel, get the cake mix. Kaia, go to the produce section and get the fruit. Destiny, you get the soup. I'll get the bread. We'll meet by the cash register."

"Yes, sir!" Kaylee said with a salute. Destiny rolled her eyes, but Mariel and Kaia just nodded. Then they spread out to get the groceries.

It didn't take long for four of the girls to get their items that they needed. Now, all they had to do was wait for Kaylee. After about ten minutes, Kaylee arrived with the cereal.

"Where have you been?" Lisa demanded. "We've been waiting for you."

"I was just looking at the other cereals and I saw a Justice Force spoon inside one of the boxes," Kaylee answered. "I wish I could get that cereal so I'd have the spoon."

"Well, let's hurry up," Lisa ordered. "We have to get this stuff back to the orphanage."

Mrs. Goldfine rang up their purchases and gave them the total. Lisa reached into her pocket and gave Mrs. Goldfine the money that Mrs. Jenner had given her. Mrs. Goldfine gave Lisa the change and wished them all a nice evening. Mr. Goldfine asked them if they needed help with the bags.

"No, thank you," Lisa said politely. "We can manage them."

"Okay," Mr. Goldfine said. "Have a safe trip home."

The girls made their way back to the orphanage, passing the Second Time Around antique shop. Kaylee stopped and looked at a bookshelf displayed in the corner. She imagined that it was hers and that she had all her comic books stored in it.

"Kaylee, come on!" Lisa admonished. "We have to hurry back!"

"But look at this bookshelf," Kaylee said. "If I had the money, I'd buy it to store my comic books in."

"Kaylee, you don't own any comic books," Destiny pointed out.

"I know, but if I did, I'd store them in there," Kaylee replied.

"Okay, enough stalling," Lisa said firmly. "Let's get back before we're grounded to our rooms."

"Let's cut through this alley," Kaylee suggested. "It'll save us some time."

"It's too dark," whimpered Kaia. "I don't like the dark."

"Kaia, relax," said Kaylee. "It's just a shortcut. Besides, you're too old to be afraid of the dark."

"This comin' from someone who sleeps with a teddy bear," teased Destiny.

"Hey, that bear was left with me after my mom abandoned me," pointed out Kaylee. "I'm not scared of anything." She started to walk into the alley, and the others followed her.

Suddenly, a group of men appeared in front of them. The leader had blue hair and a tattoo of a purple dragon on his arm. He was known as Dragon Face.

"Aww, look, boys," he sneered. "Some girls have gotten lost. What's the matter, kiddies? Are you tryin' to find your mommy?"

"Get lost!" snapped Lisa. "We're trying to get back to the orphanage. Mrs. Jenner sent us to get some groceries." Although her tone was firm, she did feel a little afraid of these men.

"How touching," said Dragon Face mockingly. "You know, you don't have to go back to that awful place, sweetheart. Me and the boys would love to have you join our family."

"We'd rather step in quicksand!" spit back Destiny.

"Well, that's a shame," said Dragon Face. "I guess if you're not with us, you're against us." He and the others were closing in on the girls. There was nowhere to run. What were they going to do?

"Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" said a voice above them. The Dragons looked up to see four figures silhouetted on the roof, their weapons drawn. The figures leaped down and advanced toward the Dragons. The girls watched in amazement as the four mysterious figures began to fight with the Dragons. One of them had sharp swords that sliced through the air gracefully. Another had twin sais that flashed dangerously in the moonlight. The third figure had a bo staff that ricocheted off of one of the Dragons' heads, while a fourth figure fought with nunchucks that spun so fast they were a blur.

After the fight was over, the Dragons fled. Then the figure wielding the swords approached the girls. They saw that he wore a blue bandana around his head. He sheathed his swords, while the others put their weapons away.

"Who are you guys?" Lisa asked them.

"We're your knights in shining armor!" the orange-banded figure piped up.

"I'm Leonardo," the blue-banded figure said. "My brothers call me Leo for short. These are my brothers."

"I'm Michelangelo, but you can call me Mikey," the orange-banded one said.

"My name's Donatello, Don or Donnie for short," the purple-banded figure added.

"I'm Raphael, but everyone calls me Raph," the red-banded figure chimed in.

"Why don't you come into the light?" Mariel inquired.

"Because we're not normal, and we're afraid you might be frightened of our appearance," Leo answered.

"We don't judge people based on appearances," Lisa declared. "By the way, I'm Lisa. These are my friends." Then each of the other girls introduced themselves to the figures.

"If you're really the good guys, prove it," Destiny ordered. "Show yourselves."

The four of them exchanged a look and did as she asked. The girls got a glimpse of four turtles who had two toes and three fingers on their hands. When the girls saw this, they didn't scream or get scared. Instead, they looked surprised. This was something the Turtles had never seen before.

"Awesome!" squealed Kaylee. "Four talking turtles! This is something you'd see in the comics!"

"You read comics?" Mikey asked excitedly.

"A little," answered Kaylee. "The orphanage doesn't carry The Justice Force comic books though. I think that stinks."

"You can always borrow mine if you want," offered Mikey.

"This isn't the time for that," said Lisa firmly. "We need to get these groceries to Mrs. Jenner. She's probably furious that we haven't come back."

"We'll escort you," offered Leo. "That way, if anyone else threatens you, we'll be there to stop them."

"Thanks, Leo, but we'll be fine now," said Lisa politely.

"You weren't fine when the Purple Dragons were attackin' ya," pointed out Raphael.

"Who asked you?" retorted Destiny.

"I think they should go with us," Mariel suggested. "It might be a good idea."

"Mariel, stay out of this!" Lisa ordered. "We'll be fine."

"No, we won't!" Kaylee contradicted. "We need their help!"

"Well, if _you _hadn't suggested we go down the alley, none of this would have happened!" Lisa chastised.

Kaia looked at her friends fighting and her eyes filled with tears. She hated to see anyone fight like that. Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Leo looking at her gently.

"Don't cry, Kaia," the Turtle in blue said gently. "They'll work it out. My brothers and I fight all the time, but we make it up in the end."

"I don't like seeing my sisters fight," Kaia whimpered. "It makes me sad."

"You should tell your sisters to stop," Leo urged. "Do you want us to go with you?"

"Yes, I do," Kaia answered.

"Then, you should tell them what you've decided," Leo urged her. "It can't hurt."

So Kaia went to her sisters and said, "Stop fighting! I want the Turtles to go with us. We'll be safe with them. Please don't fight. You know I don't like it."

Lisa was a little surprised at Kaia's outburst. Usually, Mariel was the one to break up the fights. "Okay, Kaia," she said with a sigh. They can go with us. Now, we'd better hurry. We're late enough as it is."

"Okay, but before we go, we need you to promise that you won't tell anyone about us," Leo said. "Can you do this?"

"Yes, we can," Lisa replied. "At least, I know four of us can. Kaylee has a hard time keeping secrets."

"I can keep this a secret," Kaylee protested. "I won't say a word about this."

"I believe you," Leo said. "Now, you guys can walk while we go by the rooftops. That way, we can make sure no one will attack you."

The girls agreed to this and picked up the bags. Luckily, nothing had fallen out or had gotten damaged in any way. Then they set out with the Turtles jumping the rooftops. The girls could hear Mikey challenging his brothers to a race, and it made them smile. They knew that the Turtles loved each other as any brothers could, and in that moment, they, too wished that they had brothers to tease them like Mikey teased his brothers.

When they reached the orphanage, they saw that the lights were on in the windows, meaning that Mrs. Jenner was waiting for them. As they turned to go inside, Kaia looked up at the rooftop of the building across from the orphanage. There were the Turtles, looking down at her. She waved to Leo and he waved back. She knew she probably wouldn't see him again, and that made her sad.

Mrs. Jenner was sitting in her chair when the girls came in. "Where have you been?" she demanded. "I've been waiting here for twenty minutes. What took you so long?"

"We were attacked by some Purple Dragons," answered Lisa.

"Well, it doesn't look as though you've been hurt," said Mrs. Jenner. "How did you escape?"

"The police came, and the Dragons fled," lied Destiny.

"Well, you're lucky the police were there to help you," admonished Mrs. Jenner. "How did they approach you? Did they corner you in the street?"

"No, they didn't," answered Kaylee. "They met us in the alley. It was my idea that we take a shortcut to get back here."

Mrs. Jenner was very angry. "Kaylee, how many times have I told you never to go down an alley?" she shouted. "How dare you disobey me? That's ten demerits for all of you. You are confined to your rooms until further notice. You are only allowed out of them to go to the bathroom, to do your chores, and to go to school. Your meals will be brought up to you. Now, go!"

"What about the groceries?" asked Mariel meekly.

"I'll handle them," said Mrs. Jenner. "Now, march!"

The girls did as they were told. Destiny shot Kaylee a mean glare before she followed Lisa into the room they shared, while Mariel gave Kaylee a sympathetic look before going into the room she shared with a girl named Naomi. Kaia wasn't mad at Kaylee at all. On the contrary, if Kaylee hadn't suggested that they go into the alley, they never would've met the Turtles. She even expressed this thought to Kaylee, hoping to cheer her up.

"Leave me alone, Kaia," Kaylee snapped. "I'm nothing but an idiot!" She changed into her pajamas and settled down to sleep.

Kaia also got into bed, but she couldn't sleep. She went to the window and looked out, hoping to see the Turtles looking at her. Of course, they weren't there. Then she saw a shooting star go across the sky. She closed her eyes and said, "I wish that I could see the Turtles again and that my friends and I can become sisters together." Then she got into bed and went to sleep, not knowing that her two wishes would come true.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. What did you think? I'll try to have the second chapter up as soon as I get it written. Please read and review. Did anyone get anything Turtles related for Christmas? I did. I received the Leonardo Hallmark Christmas ornament from my mom and the Combat Warriors Leonardo figurine from my boyfriend. Remember to review. Catch ya later!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Runaways

A/N: Well, I know you might be surprised to see the second chapter up since I posted the first one last week. However, I finished writing it quicker than I thought and decided to post it. So here it is. Now, I wanted to clear up some things that a reviewer asked me and pointed out to me. Mac asked me what color Mariel's hair is. I forgot to put that in her paragraph, but her hair is brown and she has hazel eyes. Mac also asked me who Kaia is most like, since all of the girls share some personality traits from the TMNT. Kaia isn't like any of them. She's just very quiet and shy, but she forms a bond with Leo, which you'll see later. Hope I cleared that up. And now to thank my lovely reviewers. Thanks to: **Mikey's Kunoichi, Mac, Bear137, Cynlee, LEO'SGIRL80, misterfooch, and shellsboy24. **Thanks a lot. Please continue to review. And now let's get to the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I wish I did. Well, my birthday's next week. If I wish really hard on my birthday candles I might get my wish. TMNT are owned by Eastman and Laird. I only own the characters not related to TMNT. All flames will be cut up by Leo's swords.

**Foot HQ**

Karai Saki paced the length of what had once been her father's office. She was waiting for her informant to report to her. What was taking him so long? He was supposed to be following the girls that Karai had seen earlier that week.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the informant entered the room. "Mistress, I have some news you might be interested to hear," he said.

"And what news would that be?" Karai demanded.

"I followed the girls as they went to get groceries," the informant reported. "They were set upon by some Purple Dragons. The Dragons were about to get the girls when the Turtles arrived and rescued them."

"The Turtles?" Karai repeated. "What were they doing there?"

"I don't know, Mistress Karai," the informant answered. "All I do know is that the Turtles beat up the Dragons and escorted the girls to the Rosewood Orphanage."

"I see," Karai mused. "This will be perfect. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"The one called Kaia has formed a bond with the Turtle called Leonardo," the informant said.

Karai's green eyes darkened in anger at the mention of the Turtle's name. "No matter," she said. "That will only prove to be useful to me in my plans."

"And what are your plans, Mistress," the informant inquired.

"I plan to adopt Kaia and teach her ninjitsu," Karai answered. "Then, when she's older, I will give her control of the Foot while I go and finish what my father couldn't with the Utroms. But before I do that, I will finish the Turtles once and for all."

"Do you want me to keep following them?" the informant asked her.

"No, I will take it from here," Karai told him. "However, you will be rewarded for your service." She walked up to a safe, opened it, and gave the informant some money.

"Thank you, Mistress," the informant said gratefully. "I can't thank you enough for this."

"That will do," Karai said. "You may accompany me when I go to the orphanage tomorrow. If I can take Kaia home right away, it will be easier for my plans to be successful."

"I hope they are, Mistress," said the informant. "Now, I must go home. I will see you tomorrow."

"Good," said Karai. "Do not be late." She watched as the informant left the office, a smile coming to her face. Little did he know that once she had Kaia, she wouldn't need him anymore. Yes, things were definitely looking up, and if all went well, the Turtles would be eliminated for good.

**Rosewood Orphanage**

Kaia woke up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She had to wonder whether the events of last night were real or imagined, but she knew that she hadn't dreamed it. Still, she knew it was wishful thinking that she would ever see the Turtles again. Did anyone else know about them? If so, were the Turtles in danger? Kaia knew that she'd never tell anyone about the Turtles and had to hope that Kaylee would keep this secret as well.

As it turned out, Kaylee wasn't event thinking of the Turtles. In fact, she wasn't even thinking about her blunder last night either. Instead, she was getting dressed and chattering about what she was going to do that day.

"There's nothing you'll be able to do today," pointed out Kaia. "Mrs. Jenner said that we can't go out of our rooms until further notice, remember?"

Kaylee sighed. "Oh, yeah, I forgot," she said gloomily. "I guess we'll just have to stay in here all day. But that's okay because we can play board games."

After breakfast, the girls went downstairs to do whatever chores Mrs. Jenner had assigned to them. It was during this time that a woman entered the orphanage, closely followed by a man. The woman had black hair and green eyes that seemed to pierce anything she looked at.

"May I help you?" Mrs. Jenner asked her.

"Yes, you can," Karai replied. "I wish to adopt a daughter. My name is Karai Saki, daughter of the late Oroku Saki."

"Oh, yes, I remember him," Mrs. Jenner said. "Such a generous man."

"Yes, he was," said Karai sadly. "Anyway, I know what it's like to feel unwanted. I, too, was abandoned as a child, but by a miracle, I was discovered by Oroku Saki. He took me in and trained me in the art of ninjitsu. When I grew older, he taught me about business so that I could help him out in his deals. I just feel that he'd want me to do this for the good of honor. My husband also agrees with me." She gestured to the man standing next to her.

"I'm sure your father would want this," said Mrs. Jenner. "Well, all of my children are in need of a home. Is there any particular age that you want the child to be?"

"Yes, I was thinking of a young age," said Karai. "Maybe seven years old." She approached Kaia and looked down at her. "Hello, little one," she said. 'My name is Karai. What is your name?"

"Kaia," replied Kaia. "I'm seven years old."

"How nice," commented Karai. " How would you like to live in my home? I can give you many opportunities."

Kaia looked at her and decided she didn't like this woman. There was something about her that wasn't right. "I guess I'd like it," she replied. "But I don't want to leave my friends. We've been together for a long time."

"But, Kaia, you don't understand," said Karai gently. "You will make new friends when you come home with me. I'm sure Mrs. Jenner would let you write to them. Besides, it won't be long before they get adopted, too."

"You can adopt us," suggested Kaylee. "We won't be any trouble for you. Plus, Kaia can be happy, too. You want her to be happy, don't you?"

"Of course, I do," answered Karai. "But I cannot adopt all of you."

"Why not?" demanded Kaylee.

Karai laughed. "I've dealt with dumb blondes like you," she said. "I need someone who is Japanese to run the business."

"But Kaia's too young," pointed out Mariel. "It's illogically impossible for her to run a business."

"My, you are a little know-it-all," said Karai with a smile. "She will run the business when she gets older."

"Maybe I should go, too," suggested Mariel. "I'm very smart."

"I do not want brains," commented Karai. "I want beauty. And you, my dear, need to work on your beauty."

"You wouldn't know beauty if it stepped in front of you," snarled Destiny. "Obviously, you ain't anything to look at. You're butt ugly."

"How dare you?" snapped Karai. "If you were in my house, I'd have you beaten for such a remark!"

"Is that what you'll do to Kaia?" retorted Lisa. "Beat her and starve her?"

"Of course not," said Karai. "I will treat her with kindness, unless she disrespects me." She turned to Mrs. Jenner. "Can I take her home today?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Saki," replied Mrs. Jenner. "By the way, why do you go by your maiden name? Shouldn't you be going by your married name?"

"My husband felt that it would be better to continue my father's legacy with my maiden name," Karai answered.

"Oh," Mrs. Jenner said. "Well, anyway, you need to fill out some paperwork that will be sent to the State Agency. It will take up to a week or two for it to come back. After that, I will let you know when you'll be able to take Kaia home."

"Very well," said Karai, bowing. "It was a pleasure doing business with you." She gave the girls a glare and left the orphanage.

As soon as Karai left, Lisa turned to Mrs. Jenner. "What are you thinking?" she exploded. "How could you let that woman adopt Kaia? She's evil!"

"Lisa, that's enough!" snapped Mrs. Jenner. "I always thought you were an obedient girl, but now I see that you're just selfish."

"Are you deaf?" retorted Destiny. "Didn't you hear anythin' that woman said to us?"

"Yes, and she isn't wrong, either," replied Mrs. Jenner "I'm extending the punishment. You have to clean the bathrooms for two weeks. Now, get to your rooms! I don't have the patience to deal with you!"

The girls left, but they didn't go their own rooms. Instead, they went to Kaia and Kaylee's room to talk about this disaster.

"This is ridiculous," declared Lisa. "Mrs. Jenner's a worse monster than I thought."

"I don't want to go with Karai," whimpered Kaia. "She's too mean. I could tell she was mean when I looked at her."

Destiny put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, girl, you're not," she said. "I've got a plan."

"What is it?" asked Kaylee.

"Wait, let me guess," said Mariel, pretending to think. "You're going to hunt down Karai and beat her up."

"Very funny, Einstein," said Destiny, rolling her eyes. "No, it's better than that. I say we run away from this hellhole."

"Run away?" repeated Mariel. "_That's _your idea?"

"Do you have a better plan?" retorted Destiny. Mariel remained silent. "That's what I thought."

"It just might work," said Lisa. "I don't like breaking the rules, but this is an emergency. We have to protect Kaia from this woman."

"Where will we go?" asked Kaylee.

"I was thinkin' we could go to Florida," said Destiny. "It would be better to go where no one will find us."

"Yeah, we could go to Disney World!" said Kaylee excitedly.

"There's just one problem," pointed out Mariel. "We don't have any money."

"Maybe the Turtles could help us out," suggested Kaia. "They've helped us before."

"But we don't know where they live," said Lisa matter-of-factly. "How could we contact them?"

"'We could always look on the roofs," suggested Kaylee. "That's where they were last time."

"It can't hurt," said Destiny. "I'm sure they'd help us if we're in a jam."

Mariel sighed. "So, when are we going to leave?" she asked.

"Tonight," replied Destiny. "The sooner we're out of here, the better."

"I agree," Lisa said. "It's better than staying here and not getting adopted."

"Or getting adopted by someone who's evil," Kaylee added.

"So, we're all agreed on this?" Destiny asked them. The others nodded. "Good. Now, let's get packin' so we won't be delayed when we get ready to leave."

So the girls headed to their rooms and began to pack. Then, they spent the rest of the day as they usually did so that no one would be suspicious. When it was time for bed, they got into their pajamas and settled in. Then, Mrs. Jenner wished them a good night and went to her own room to sleep. When it was quiet, Destiny, Lisa, and Mariel came into Kaia and Kaylee's room. They opened the window and crept out, Kaia the last to leave. She closed the window and followed her sisters down the fire escape.

"Don't you think we should change into clothes?" Mariel asked.

"We will in a minute," Lisa said. "We just need to look for a spot." She scanned the street until she found the best spot. It was an abandoned warehouse on the corner of Eastman and Laird. "We can change in here," she said. "Then, we can head out to Florida."

"I don't think we can get in," Kaylee pointed out.

"I think you have to punch in a code," Mariel said, pointing to the key pad on the side.

"Can you hack into it?" Kaia asked her.

"No way!" Mariel scoffed. "I may be smart, but I'm not _that _smart!"

"Maybe we can get in by a window," Destiny suggested. So the girls looked on the side, but they couldn't find a window. When they reached the back, they found it all boarded up.

"There's a hole," Kaylee said. "We can get in that way." One by one the girls crawled in. Kaia was afraid because it was dark, but Mariel found a light switch and turned it on. The warehouse was big, but there wasn't much in it, except for a motorcycle and some boxes in a corner.

Suddenly, the door that they had tried to get open started to retract. Then, the girls saw the headlights of an armored van come into the warehouse. It parked next to the motorcycle and the engine was shut off. Then, four figures jumped out of the van and looked at the girls.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Lisa gasped.

A/N: So who's in the van? Well, you'll have to wait until next chapter for that. Now, the next chapter may not be posted next week because I haven't written it yet. Plus, I have a paper due next week that I'll be starting to do on Thursday. I also have another book I have to read for another class. So, I'll be very busy. My motto is that school comes before fan fiction. You'll just have to bear with me on this. Please read and review.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A New Family

A/N: Happy birthday to me! I'm 23! Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! Yep, it's my birthday and I decided to post my third chapter. I have to because next week I'll be working on a paper that's due on the fourteenth. I also want to mention that my story "A Warrior's Pain" was chosen as a Story of the Year Honorable Mention. Thanks to all who nominated me and who reviewed that story. If you haven't done so, you should check it out. And finally, I want to congratulate Rey Mysterio for winning the 2006 WWE Royal Rumble! Yeah, I know I'm a wrestling freak. And now, to thank my reviewers. Thanks to: **Cynlee, misterfooch, Mac, LEO'SGIRL80, Jumper Prime, Mikey's Kunoichi, and Shellsboy24. **You guys rock! And now we must get back to the story.

Disclaimer: Well, it's my birthday and I don't see four talking Turtles anywhere. I guess my wish didn't come true. Bummer! Turtles are owned by Eastman and Laird. All flames will be cut up by Leo's swords. I own only the characters not in the TMNT universe. Enjoy!

"Leo!" Kaia cried with glee. She ran to Leo and gave him a hug. Leo bent down and returned it.

"What are you guys doing here?" Lisa asked them.

"This is where we live," Leo answered.

"In a warehouse?" Kaylee asked.

"No, we live below it," Don said. "That elevator over there will take you down to our Lair."

"Speaking of which, we'd better get down there," Leo said. "Master Splinter will be worried."

"We'll change our clothes and leave," Lisa said. "Sorry to have bothered you."

"No, don't go!" Leo protested. "We'd love for you to meet Master Splinter."

"Yeah, we told him all about you," Mikey said with an impish grin.

"Please, Lisa?" Kaia begged. "It's the least we can do to repay them for saving our lives."

Lisa sighed in frustration. "Okay," she said. "As long as the others agree, too."

"I do!" Kaylee squealed excitedly.

"Yeah, I guess it's okay," Destiny added. Mariel nodded.

"Lead the way," Lisa said to Leo. He and the other Turtles led the girls into the elevator. As they descended, the girls were amazed at the inside of it. When the doors opened, the girls' mouths dropped. They couldn't believe how big the Turtles home was.

"How much does it cost to live here?" Destiny asked.

Raphael laughed at her question. "Not a dime," he answered.

"Welcome home, my sons," a voice said. The girls turned to see an old rat with a walking stick enter. "Who are these young ladies?" he asked the Turtles.

"These are the girls we rescued last night, Master Splinter," Leo replied. "Girls, this is Master Splinter, our sensei and father."

Lisa was a little taken aback. Splinter was their dad? She had expected him to be another turtle, not a rat. "Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Lisa."

"Pleased to meet you, Lisa," Splinter said, bowing to her. "And who are these other young ladies?"

"These are my sisters, Destiny, Kaia, Kaylee, and Mariel," Lisa said, pointing to each of them. Splinter bowed to each girl. Mariel, Destiny, and Kaylee didn't know what to do, but Kaia walked up to Splinter and bowed back.

Leonardo was amazed. "How did you learn that, Kaia?" he asked.

"I saw someone do it on TV," Kaia replied.

"Very impressive," Splinter commented. "Now, if I may, I would like to know what has happened to you." The girls exchanged confused looks, not knowing what he meant.

"What Master Splinter means is, what happened at the orphanage that caused you to leave?" Donatello explained.

"How do you know we ran away?" Lisa countered.

"Well, by the looks of your bags, I'd say you weren't going to a sleepover," Don answered. "Plus, young girls like you should be in bed by now."

"We ran away because Kaia was going to be adopted by an evil lady," Kaylee explained.

Raphael smirked. "Oh, that's cute," he said sarcastically. "No, really, why'd you run away? Did you hate the lady who ran it?"

"We're not lying!" Kaia said defensively. "I was going to be adopted by a lady named Karai Saki."

Leonardo's eyes darkened in anger. "What did she want?" he demanded angrily.

"Leonardo, calm yourself!" Splinter chastised. "You will frighten the girls with your anger!"

Leo did as he was told. "What did she say to you?" he asked Kaia in a softer voice.

"She told me she wanted a Japanese girl to inherit the business," Kaia replied. "I could tell just by looking at her that she was evil. She had a dark presence about her. I know that sounds foolish."

"No, it does not, my child," Splinter said. "You have been blessed with a gift. There are those who possess this gift and there are those who do not. This has proven useful to you."

"What sort of business was Karai talking about?" asked Mariel.

"It's not a business," explained Leo. "That's just her act. Karai is head of the Foot, an organization that specializes in crime."

"You mean that they steal stuff?" asked Kaylee.

"Yeah, they do," said Mikey. "They've even stolen Utrom technology."

At the puzzled look on the girls' faces, Splinter said, "We will discuss this later. For now, it is time for bed."

"Where are we gonna sleep?" inquired Destiny.

"You can use my room," offered Leo. "It's big enough for the five of you."

"Oh, we can't do that to you, Leo," protested Lisa. "Where will you sleep?"

"I'll sleep on the couch," answered Leo. "I've done it before."

"I've got a better idea," suggested Mikey. "We've got those sleeping bags from that time we went camping. The girls can use those to sleep on."

"You know, I never thought I'd say this, but that's a good idea, Mikey," commented Raphael.

So the Turtles went upstairs and got the sleeping bags. The girls stared at them as though they had never seen sleeping bags before.

"What's wrong?" asked Donnie.

"There are only four of them," pointed out Mariel. "That means one of us is going to have to sleep on the floor without one."

"No, you won't," contradicted Leo. "One of you can have the couch."

"Lisa can sleep there," said Mariel. "She's the oldest."

"I don't wanna sleep on the floor!" complained Kaylee. "It hurts my back!"

Leonardo watched the girls arguing with a smile. "There's only one solution," he said. "You'll have to draw straws." He went into the kitchen and got five straws, making sure that one of them was short. The girls drew, and Kaia got the short one. That meant that she would sleep on the couch. Kaylee muttered that it wasn't fair, but shut up when Lisa glared at her. Then the girls settled down to sleep. The Turtles and Splinter wished them good-night, and the girls said the same to them. Then they closed their eyes.

**Dream sequence**

_Kaia was running on the rooftops with Leo, having a good time. Suddenly, some men in black suits leapt in front of them. Who were these men? Kaia wondered. She saw Leo draw his katanas and get in a battle stance. _

"_Get the girl," ordered one of the men. _

"_Kaia, run!" cried Leo. _

_Kaia didn't want to run. She didn't want to leave Leo. The men were advancing on her. What was she to do? _

"_Keep away from me!" she cried. She tried to kick one of them, but it didn't work. One of the men grabbed her, and she screamed. _

'_Mistress Karai will be very pleased," one of them said. _

"_What about the Turtle?" a second man asked. _

"_Dispose of him," the first man ordered. _

"_No!" Kaia cried. The last thing she saw was the one of the men raising their swords to Leo. Then she saw no more. _

**End of dream sequence**

Kaia sat bold upright with a cry. What a horrible dream! Kaia thought. When she was at the orphanage and had bad dreams, she would look out the window at the night sky. However, there were no windows here. In fact, it was pitch dark, something that Kaia hated. She hugged the blanked to her and whimpered softly. If only someone would come and comfort her.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps on the stairs. She tensed up; was someone coming to take her away? Then she remembered that she was safe with the Turtles. The room was flooded with light and Kaia saw Leo standing there. Had he heard her?

"Leo, I'm sorry if I woke you," Kaia apologized. "Just go back to sleep. It was just a dream."

"Was it bad?" Leo asked her.

"Well, kinda," replied Kaia. "But I'll be fine now."

Leo smiled gently. He remembered the times when he would tell Splinter the same thing. "You don't look fine," he commented. "I can see in your eyes that it scared you. Maybe if you talk about it, you'll feel better. That usually helps me when I have a bad dream."

"Okay," said Kaia. She told him all about what she had dreamed about. When she was done, she asked," Will it come true, Leo?"

Leo thought for a moment. He didn't want to frighten her, but he felt that this dream probably was some sort of warning. "No, I don't," he answered her. "Dreams are just the mind's way of toying with you. Bad dreams just bring out your fears. That's all they are."

"But I've never seen those guys before," pointed out Kaia. "How could I be afraid of them?"

"Well, you told me that they mentioned Karai," explained Leo. "And we all know you're afraid of her. The dream was just emphasizing your fear. You're afraid something might happen to you, but you shouldn't be. We'll be there for you if you need us."

"But, Leo, we may not be staying," protested Kaia. "We planned on going to Florida."

"We'll see about that," teased Leo. "Once you guys taste Mikey's cooking, you'll be begging to stay."

"I'd love to stay here," confessed Kaia. "Everybody's so nice."

"We'd love for you to stay, too," declared Leo. "I don't think you'd be able to survive out there. You'd be better off here where it's safe."

"I don't think so either," said Kaia. "I'm too scared we'd get attacked."

"Well, I'm sure Master Splinter will make sure you guys stay," Leo reassured her. "Now, I think it's time you went back to sleep."

"I can't," whimpered Kaia. "I'm afraid I'll have the dream again."

"I'll stay with you till you fall asleep," said Leo reassuringly. "You won't have the dream again. Just think of something happy."

"Okay," said Kaia. She closed her eyes and imagined that she and her sisters were with the Turtles as a family. She pictured them all having a picnic and having fun. In no time at all, she was asleep.

Leo tucked her in and kissed her cheek. Then he went upstairs and thought about what Kaia had told him. He couldn't understand why Lisa and the others wanted to put Kaia in danger. Did they realize that they'd never make it to Florida? Couldn't they see that Kaia was fragile? And what about that dream? Leo decided to talk to Master Splinter about it in the morning. Maybe he'd have a solution. With that last thought, the Turtle in blue fell asleep.

The next morning, Leo woke and went downstairs. He saw that the girls were still asleep, which was a good thing. He headed to the dojo to do some early morning training. He knew his brothers wouldn't be up for a little while, which was fine with him. Sometimes it was hard to practice with Mikey's joking and Raph's anger when Mikey provoked him.

He unsheathed his swords and began to do some katas. He was so into it, he didn't notice Kaia until he heard her clapping after he finished a move. He turned to her and smiled.

"Hey, Kaia, did you sleep better?" he asked her.

"Yes, I did," she replied. "Thanks for staying up with me."

"No problem," said Leo. "Well, we should see if the others are up yet." He took her hand and led her out of the dojo. As it turned out, the others were just starting to rise. Then, Mikey came downstairs, ready to make breakfast. A little while later, Donatello came into the room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"So, Leo, are you going to wake Raph up?" asked the brainy Turtle.

"No way!" said Leo, holding up his hands in protest. "Last time I did that, I almost got hit by the alarm clock."

"I'll wake him for you," Destiny offered.

"I wouldn't try it if I were you," Leo warned her. "Raph can be very stubborn. He might just hit you."

"We'll see about that," Destiny said boldly. She went upstairs and Leo pointed out Raph's room. Destiny poked her head inside and spotted the Turtle in bed with the covers half off.

"Yo, Raph, time to wake up," she sang. "Breakfast will be ready soon, honey."

"What the shell?" mumbled Raph groggily. "Mikey, go away before I get out of this bed and punch you!"

"I'm not Mikey, silly," Destiny giggled. "It's me, Destiny."

"Destiny?" Raph repeated. "I thought you guys would split on us."

"Why? Has it happened before?" Destiny asked him.

"Nah, I've just seen it on TV," Raph said. He got up and followed Destiny downstairs.

"Wow!" Mikey said in an awed voice. "I guess Raph didn't murder you! That's a first. Let's mark it on the calendar!"

"Shut it, Mikey!" Raph growled. Mikey grinned and went to the kitchen to finish making breakfast. After Master Splinter woke up, the whole family, plus the girls settled in to eat.

"These are good eggs, Mikey," Kaylee commented. "You're a good cook."

"Thanks," Mikey said, blushing a little. "I'm glad someone appreciates my cooking." He looked at his brothers when he said that.

"Mikey, we appreciate your cooking," Donnie protested.

"Yeah, we just hate it when we have scrambled eggs three days in a row," Raph added.

Mikey stuck his tongue out at his red-clad brother. "Well, next time I won't cook at all," he said. "I'll just let Donnie do it."

"Hey, I'm a scientist, not a cook," Donnie explained.

"What do you girls plan to do today?" Splinter asked them, changing the subject.

"Well, we were thinking of heading to Florida," said Lisa. "We're grateful for your hospitality, but we need to leave."

"Well, Miss Lisa, I was going to suggest that the five of you remain here with us," suggested Splinter.

"Really?" Kaylee squealed.

"Yes," said Splinter. "I feel that you would be in danger running off to Florida, especially if Karai is looking for you."

"So, what you're sayin' is that you're gonna adopt us?" asked Destiny.

"That is correct," answered Splinter with a smile.

"But what about school?" inquired Mariel.

"I e-mailed April last night," said Donnie. "She's gonna come over and set things up."

Kaia got up and bowed to Splinter. "Thank you for letting us stay," she said.

"Wait a minute," interjected Lisa. "We didn't agree on it. All in favor of staying, raise your hands." All of them did. "Motion carried," said Lisa with a smile.

As breakfast progressed, the girls learned more about the Turtles and their enemies. After breakfast was over, the girls watched the Turtles practice. They were amazed at what the Turtles could do, but Kaia got a little scared when Raph and Leo were sparring and Raph performed a move with his sai raised. Kaia thought he was going to hurt Leo, but the Turtle in blue reassured her that Raph wouldn't hurt him on purpose.

Suddenly a voice called out, "Hello? Is anyone home?" A woman with groceries in her arms entered the Lair.

"Hey, April!" said Mikey cheerfully. "How you doin'?"

"I'm fine," said April. "These must be the girls you were talking about."

"Yes, we are," said Lisa. She introduced herself and so did the others.

"What are you gonna do, April?" asked Kaia.

"Well, I'm gonna call Mrs. Jenner and let her know that you're safe," replied April. "Then, I'm gonna ask her if I can adopt you."

"But I thought Master Splinter was going to adopt us," protested Mariel.

"He is," April laughed. "But Master Splinter can't go to school when you have conferences. That's why I'm gonna be your legal guardian."

"There's still Karai though," protested Lisa.

"Oh, I'll take care of that," said April. "I'm going to have Mrs. Jenner do a background check on Karai. With any luck, she'll discover Karai's ties to the Foot."

Kaia giggled. "You're sneaky, April," she said.

"Yes, I am," April said with a smile.

"We are in your debt, Miss O'Neil," Splinter said graciously. "I do not know how to thank you."

"Oh, don't mention it," April said modestly. "I also got you guys some groceries. Once I get everything set up for the girls, I'll take them shopping for some new clothes."

"Are you gonna stay for awhile?" Donnie asked.

"I wish I could, but I can't," April replied. "I want to get this done ASAP. That way, I'll know that everything's all right. I'll see you guys later."

"'Bye April," everybody chorused.

Leo saw Kaia smiling happily. "What are you thinking about, Kaia?" he asked her.

"I just thought this was all a dream," Kaia said. "I wished on a star yesterday that I'd see you guys again and that we'd all be a family, but I didn't think it'd come true. I'm happy it has, though."

"So are we, Kaia," Leo said. "So are we."

A/N: Well, that's the end of that chapter. I know it might be kind of lame, but I'm kind of sick right now. Anyway, for my birthday present, I want you guys to review. I also have two questions for you. 1. What do you think will happen in this Saturday's episode? 2. If you review this after the episode has aired, what did you think of it? You can answer both or just one if you want. Please review!

Additional A/N: I tried to post this on my birthday but the site was having difficulties so I'm posting it today, and hopefully this will work. Also, since we've already seen the new TMNT episode you can just tell me what your predictions were for it and answer the second question. Also, that's why my birthday is mentioned because I typed this up on my birthday. You can still send me reviews as a late present though. I'm kinda ticked right now because of what Karai did to the Lair and because of what happened on WWE SmackDown when Randy Orton said that the late Eddie Guerrero was in hell instead of heaven. Let's just say I'm ready to kick some serious butt right now on Mr. McMahon and Karai. I hope Leo delivers some serious butt kicking ninja action to that witch! Please read, review, and respond.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Fights and Fears

A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I've been busy. I wanted to pos this up now before things got too hectic. I posted another story in the wrestling section of this site and got two flames. I figure I'll just stick to writing for the Turtles since I don't get flames here. If you want to review my other story it's in the Miscellaneous section of this site under wrestling and is called "Eddie's Revenge." It's about how I think Eddie would feel about the WWE exploiting his death. With that aside, I'd like to thank my loyal reviewers who have stuck with this story. Thanks to: **Cynlee, Shellsboy24, Mac, LEO'SGIRL80, Mikey's Kunoichi, Anime Fan Team, Mewfem, and Dr.JNHardy. **You guys rock. And now let's get on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ninja Turtles. If I did, I'd be making a ton of money. I would like to own the WWE since they have such dumb storylines, but I don't. What a shame! Enjoy the story and no flames! I said that on my WWE story and people didn't listen. Glad to see we have intelligent people here who do. All flames, if there are any, will be cut up by Leo's katanas.

Two days later, April sent word that everything was settled. The girls were happy about it and spent their days having fun with their new brothers. Then came the day that April was to take them shopping. The girls were excited about getting new clothes.

"Mrs. Jenner hardly ever gave us new clothes," said Lisa. "It'll be nice to get something that isn't used."

When they arrived at the mall, the girls couldn't believe the choice of clothes that they could choose from. Even being in the mall was fascinating to them since they'd never been there before. April was a little shocked that Mrs. Jenner never took them anywhere.

"The only way we went anywhere is when the school would organize field trips," said Destiny.

"Well, I'll make sure you go to more fun places," said April reassuringly.

"Hey, after we get clothes, can we look at the toys?" Kaylee asked.

"Sure," April replied. "If you want anything, just ask."

"April, you don't have to do this," Lisa protested. "You've done enough already."

"Oh, don't be so modest," April laughed. "I like doing things for you. Besides, I'm your legal guardian. It's almost expected of me to do this."

"Well, okay, but don't let Kaylee make you go overboard," Lisa warned. "Sometimes she gets carried away."

"Lisa, stop being so overprotective," April said. "You can't blame Kaylee for wanting so much. After all, you guys haven't had much happiness. Let me be the one to give it to you guys. It's the least I can do."

Lisa sighed. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, April, it's just that I'm so used to having to look out for them," she explained. "It's gonna take some time for me to stop taking that motherly role. That's how I always felt."

"Yeah, but she was really bossy," Kaylee added.

"Kaylee, that's not very nice," chastised April. "You should be thankful that Lisa's been looking out for you."

"I am grateful," said Kaylee. "I just wish she didn't have to be so bossy."

"Well, she doesn't have to be now," said April. "I'm the boss now, and so is Master Splinter. Now, let's shop till we drop."

The girls laughed and followed her inside. When they got to the clothes department, they had to go to three different sections. April let the girls pick what they wanted, but Lisa was worried about the cost. April reassured her that it would be fine.

"If you want, you can work in the shop on weekends if it will make you feel better," she offered.

"Yeah, I'd like that," said Lisa.

Suddenly, a girl with braided pigtails came up to them. "Why, Destiny, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Shopping for clothes," answered Destiny. "What are you doing here?"

"The same," replied the girl. "I'm Amber, by the way. Amber Brewster." She said this to April as an introduction.

"Nice to meet you, Amber," said April. "I'm April O'Neil, the girls' adoptive mother. Where's your mother?"

"At home," answered Amber. "I don't need my mom to shop for me unlike _some _people." She looked at Destiny as she said this.

"Amber, knock it off before I mess up those pretty braids of yours!" snapped Destiny.

Amber smirked. "I'm not scared of you," she said. "To me, you're just pathetic." Then she tossed her braids back and walked away.

"That girl makes me so mad!" seethed Destiny.

"Calm down, Destiny," said April, laying her hand on the girl's shoulder. "How do you know her anyway?"

"She's in my class at school," replied Destiny. "She's full of prejudice, especially against blacks and orphans. Thank goodness I don't have to put up with her until September when school starts."

"Well, you're not an orphan any longer," said April. "You have a family now."

Destiny smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said. "Thanks, April."

"Don't mention it," April said. "It's what I'm here for."

"Can we look at the toys now?" Kaylee begged.

April laughed. "Of course we can," she said.

After looking at the toys for a little bit, April took the girls back to the Lair and headed back to her apartment to get the furniture for the girls. Even though all but one were sharing with the Turtles, April felt that they needed some things of their own. Casey was going to help her move the furniture from her apartment to the Lair.

**Meanwhile…**

Karai made her way to the Rosewood orphanage in high spirits. She felt confident that after today, Kaia would be hers. She had met with her father's attorney, Sanford Turner, who was a very pleasant man. He had assured her that there was a way to get Kaia much earlier than planned. She just hoped that the document would be recognized.

She entered the orphanage and found Mrs. Jenner lecturing to some children. She looked around but didn't see Kaia anywhere. Karai figured that the girl must be up in her room.

Mrs. Jenner approached her. "May I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, you can," Karai replied. "I have come to collect Kaia."

"I told you that the paperwork won't come for two weeks," Mrs. Jenner explained.

"Ah, but I do not need some silly paperwork to sign," Karai countered. "This document states that I have legal rights to claim Kaia at anytime."

Mrs. Jenner looked at the document carefully. It was definitely legal. "Well, this seems to be in order," she said. "However, I'm afraid you're too late."

"What do you mean?" Karai asked, arching her eyebrows.

"Kaia ran away a few nights ago," Mrs. Jenner replied. "She and some of her friends stole away."

Karai's green eyes darkened in anger. "This cannot be!" she cried. "You are lying!"

"I assure you that I'm not," Mrs. Jenner said calmly. "I woke up and discovered that their beds were empty."

"Do you not have an alarm system?" Karai inquired.

"No, I don't," Mrs. Jenner replied. "I have no use for something like that."

"You are foolish," Karai scoffed. "You should at least be looking for them. Maybe call the police to help you."

Mrs. Jenner laughed. "The police?" she repeated. "They can't do anything right. I asked them to do something about the graffiti on the outside, and they didn't do a thing. They claimed they couldn't help me."

Karai grew angry again. "Look, I came to adopt a child, and I'll get what I want," she hissed. "One way or another."

"If you want another child, you're welcome to have one," Mrs. Jenner offered. "I have so many."

Karai laughed. "I think not," she said. "If I even tried, the child would probably be missing. This is all your doing, no doubt."

"How dare you?" Mrs. Jenner cried. "I had nothing to do with this!"

"Whatever!" Karai sneered. "I will make sure that no one adopts from this agency again. Such a shame! I was also going to make a nice donation to the orphanage, but I will use that money for a worthier cause. Good day to you!" And with that, she left the orphanage.

Karai's advisor was waiting for her. "Mistress, what happened?" he asked.

"They're gone!" Karai snapped. "I was so close, but the little brat and her friends ran away!"

"So, what do you want us to do?" her advisor asked.

"Find them," Karai ordered. "Search everywhere for them."

"But, Mistress, they could be anywhere," the advisor protested. "They could have fled the country."

Karai struck him across the cheek. "I don't care, you fool!" she shrieked. "Just search for them! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress Karai," he said meekly.

"Good!" said Karai. "One way or another I _will _have my daughter. And once I do, I will crush the Turtles and all obstacles in my way!"

**The Lair**

"Donnie, can you fix my hoverboard?" begged Mikey. "I kinda broke it when I tried to do this cool jump."

Donatello sighed in frustration. He wanted to work on a new invention, but knew that he wouldn't get any peace until he fixed Mikey's toy.

"Sure, Mikey, I can fix it," he said.

"Thanks, bro!" said Mikey, clapping Don on the shoulder. "You're the best!"

As Don got ready to fix the hoverboard, Mariel came in and offered her help. Don assented and the girl helped him hold the lantern while he worked.

"Donnie, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure, Mariel," replied Don. "What's on your mind?"

"Do you like April?" inquired Mariel.

"Like her?" repeated Don. "If you mean as a friend, yes, I do. She's always been there for us when we've been in a jam."

Mariel giggled. "No, I mean, do you like her in a different way?" she asked him. "You know, as a girlfriend?"

Don hesitated for a minute. "Well, sometimes I think of her that way," he admitted. "But at other times I force myself not to. I mean, I know it will never work logically. Then I think about her with Casey. Have you heard the saying that opposites attract?"

"Yeah, I've heard it on a song," Mariel replied.

"Well, that's the way it is with them," Don explained. "April's intelligent while Casey's the hothead. But when he's with April, I can see she changes him. He's more gentle and caring around her. Plus, I can see she's happy with him. It's just that sometimes I wish April was with me instead of Casey, and I hate myself for that. I guess I'm not making much sense."

"Yes, you are," Mariel contradicted. "You just wish that you could love someone like a human. I know how you feel. I wish I could love a guy, but no guy would like me. Everyone thinks I'm a geek because I'm smart. They don't even think I'm beautiful."

"But you are beautiful, Mariel," Don protested. "And I know that one day some guy will see that."

"Thanks, Donnie," Mariel said. "You're such a comfort. We're lucky we found you guys."

"I feel the same way," said Don. "Now, let's get this hoverboard fixed before Mikey pesters us again." Mariel laughed and they set to work.

Meanwhile, Raphael was getting ready to go topside with Casey. "We just wanna see what the Dragons are up to," he said to Splinter. "Wanna come along, Destiny?"

"Sure," replied Destiny. "Can I go, Dad?"

Splinter smiled when she called him that. Since the girls had been adopted, they'd come to think of Splinter as their dad. It made his heart warm to think of it, but he had to think about what Destiny wanted to do.

"I am afraid not, Destiny," answered Splinter. "It is too dangerous for you to be out at night."

"But Raph and Casey will be with me," protested Destiny. "I'll be perfectly safe."

"I realize that, but you have forgotten about Karai," explained Splinter. "She is a threat to all of you."

"She's after Kaia, not me!" retorted Destiny.

"And she will do everything in her power to get Kaia," countered Splinter. "She would capture you to use as bait. I am sorry, my daughter, but I cannot put you in such danger."

"Don't worry, Destiny, I'll give you a rundown when I get back," Raph reassured her.

Destiny shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever," she muttered.

"Papa Splinter, can Leo and I go on a walk?" asked Kaia. "Leo wants to show me some stuff."

"We'll be in the sewers," added Leo. "We won't be long."

"Yes, you may go," assented Splinter.

"That's not fair!" complained Destiny. "You're letting her go out when she 's the one Karai's after. What's up with that?"

"Kaia will be safe in the sewers," explained Splinter with a sigh. "It is less likely that Karai will look in the sewers for her. However, you would be going topside, which puts you in more danger. Now, I do not want to hear another word about it."

Destiny went to her and Raph's room and slammed the door. She was furious. She had every right to go out, not Kaia. Damn her, Destiny thought. It's her fault we're in this mess in the first place. We shoulda just let her go. Maybe we'd be better off.

Back downstairs, Kaia was upset by Destiny's outburst. "Why is she mad at me?" she asked.

"I don't know why, Kaia," Leo replied. "Don't worry about it. She'll calm down soon. C'mon, let's go for our walk. There's so much I want to show you."

She took his hand and followed him out into the sewers. The sound of water dripping echoed all around them. Kaia held her nose at the stench, and Leo laughed.

"You get used to it," he told her. Then he pointed to a spot that was boarded up. "That's where Raph and I met the albino crocodile when we were younger," he explained.

"Is the crocodile in there now?" asked Kaia with a shiver.

Leo chuckled. "No, he's dead," he answered. "But I still don't go in there. Down this way is where Leatherhead and Professor Honeycutt live."

"Who are they?" asked the girl.

"Friends of ours," said the Turtle. "Professor Honeycutt's a robot who used to be a human. Leatherhead's a mutant crocodile we found in our old Lair."

"Another crocodile?" repeated Kaia. "Is he dangerous?"

"Not at all," Leo reassured her. "He used to have trouble controlling his temper but he's mastered that now." Then he explained more about Leatherhead's predicament with Bishop and also Honeycutt's past.

"Those poor guys!" said Kaia sympathetically. "At least they have you as friends."

"Yeah, they do," agreed Leo. Then he knocked on one of the walls of the subway station. "Leatherhead? Professor Honeycutt?" he called. "Anyone home?"

"Yes, we are here," a voice called back. Then Leatherhead stepped out of a subway car that housed his lab. Leatherhead was a giant crocodile who could rip a man in half if he so desired. Beside him was the robot know as Professor Honeycutt.

"Ah, Leonardo, what a pleasant surprise," the robot said. "I was expecting Donatello to be here instead."

"No, Donnie's working on Mikey's hoverboard," Leo explained. "I'd like you both to meet Kaia. She's my little sister. Kaia, this is Leatherhead and Professor Honeycutt." Then he noticed that Kaia wasn't beside him. "Kaia, where are you?" he called Then he saw her peer out from behind his shell.

Leatherhead chuckled softly. "Do not be frightened, little one," he said gently. "While I may look ferocious, I am actually very gentle."

Kaia came out from behind Leo's shell, went up to Leatherhead and Professor Honeycutt, and bowed to them. "I'm sorry for my rudeness," she apologized. "Can you forgive me?"

"We can indeed," said Honeycutt graciously. "May I ask how you came to know the Turtles?"

"They saved us from the Purple Dragons," replied Kaia. Then she talked about why she and her sisters ran away.

"I understand your predicament," said Leatherhead. "I, too, felt that way when I was with Bishop." His eyes darkened at the mention of the agent's name, but he didn't go into a rage. He had learned to control his rages and knew that if he did so now, Kaia would be very scared.

"Well, I think we'd better get going," said Leonardo. "I promised Master Splinter we wouldn't be long. I have a few more things to show her."

"That is all right," said Honeycutt. "I hope to meet your other sisters, Miss Kaia."

"I'll be sure to bring them along, Professor," said Kaia with a smile. "Nice to meet you both."

"The feeling is mutual," said Leatherhead kindly. "I hope you have a safe trip in the sewers. See you soon. And tell your brothers I said hello, Leonardo."

"I will," promised Leo. "See you later!" Then he and Kaia left the subway station and headed out. Leo pointed out other places that he and his brothers used to play in when they were younger. He then stopped beside a ladder.

"What's up there?" asked Kaia.

"This is where my special place is," answered Leo. "Actually, it's one Raph and I discovered together. We decided not to tell anyone else about it. Now, I'm the only one who still uses it. Raph prefers to go topside when he's in a bad mood, but I often come here. C'mon, I'll show you!"

Kaia watched as the Turtle in blue climbed the ladder with ease. She didn't want to go up there, but she was afraid to show any weakness. She followed him up, trying to be brave about it. Suddenly, her foot slipped and she screamed, holding on with both hands while her feet dangled. Leo heard her cry and hurried down to her.

"Grab my hand," he said. "I'll pull you onto my shell." Kaia grabbed his hand and he pulled her up. She clung to his shell, shaking and whimpering. Leo went up the rest of the way and set her down on the ground.

"Are you okay?" he asked her gently.

"No, I'm not okay!" wailed Kaia. "I'm a baby! I'm scared of every little thing! I was afraid of Leatherhead, even though you told me he was harmless! And I'm also afraid of heights, too! I've always been scared of them! I'm an idiot!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Leo asked her.

"Because I wanted to be brave," said Kaia. "You're so brave, Leo, and I didn't want you to make fun of me."

Leo smiled in sympathy. "I couldn't do that, Kaia," he said. "I was afraid of heights when I was your age, too. Sometimes, I still get that fear. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Now, let's go see my special place." He led he around the bend to a large pool with a waterfall. Kaia was amazed by it.

"It's beautiful," she remarked. "But I won't come here unless you're with me."

"That's fine," said Leo. Then his Shell Cell rang. He picked it up. "Hello?" he said.

"Leo, it's Don," said the voice on the other end. "Splinter wants you to come home. He has something he wants to tell us."

"On my way," said Leo. He hung up and turned to Kaia. "Time to go home," he told her. "Sensei wants to tell us something."

"Okay," said Kaia. She followed him to the ladder. He bent down so Kaia could get on his back. As he descended the ladder, she hid her face so she wouldn't have to look down. After that, she got off his back and took his hand to go home. She was much calmer than she had been before.

When they entered the Lair, they found everyone gathered near Splinter. He looked up as they came in.

"Leonardo, I am glad you and Kaia came home," he said. "I have just received a message from the Daimyo."

"Is anything wrong?" Leo asked anxiously.

"No, not at all," Splinter replied. "He has informed me that the Battle Nexus tournament will begin tomorrow night."

"Can we go, too?" Kaylee asked eagerly. She had heard so much about it from Mikey.

"Yes, you will go along to watch," Splinter answered. "I hope you support your brothers and myself."

"We will," said Lisa.

"This is cool!" Raph commented. "I can't wait to go again!"

"Me neither," Don added. "Maybe I won't be the first Turtle out this time."

"And maybe I'll be able to advance to the third round this time," chimed in Leo. Then he saw that Mikey was looking strange. "Are you okay, Mikey?" he asked.

"Are you nuts?" cried Mikey. "I might lose my championship! I'm not fine at all! It can't be now! Sensei, you should check the calendar again. Maybe the Daimyo didn't get it right."

"I assure you he did," said Splinter. "I do not know why you are so afraid, Michelangelo. You have always sounded confident before, especially when you bragged to your brothers about it."

"But, Sensei, I'm a marked Turtle!" moaned Mikey. "Everyone will be after me! Maybe I'll just skip this year. You know, call in sick or something."

"You will do no such thing!" chastised Splinter. "You will fight like the champion you are. A true warrior always defends himself with honor and dignity. I did it, and so will you."

"Aw, man!" whined Mikey. "I'm doomed!" He headed to his room to think things over. As he sat on his bed, he looked at his trophy sitting on the shelf. He'd had to move it there because Raph kept complaining about it. Klunk came up to offer comfort to his master.

"This sucks, Klunk," Mikey told his cat. "I'm gonna have to defend my title against tons of guys. It makes me think of when wrestlers win a title. I don't know why they defend them all the time. I'm sunk!" Klunk purred reassuringly, but even his cat's comforting purrs didn't ease Mikey's nerves. He was definitely screwed.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. In the next one we're heading back to the Battle Nexus. So, who do you want to win the tournament this year? Review and let me know. This is gonna be good. See ya on the flip side!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Back to the Battle Nexus

A/N: Well, it's finally here! After spending so much time writing and getting schoolwork out of the way, the fifth chapter has arrived! I hope you all enjoy it. I must warn you that I'm not that good at fight scenes, but I have tried my best to do well. If it seems too lame, I'm sorry. Schoolwork has taken up a lot of my time, but I'm back. I want to get this posted because I have a big research paper for my one English class to do, and that will require a lot of work. So, if the next chapter takes too long to get posted, this is why. Now, I want to thank my loyal reviewers who were kind enough to read the last chapter. Thanks to: **Cynlee, Mikey's Kunoichi, Mac, Anime Fan Team, Mewfem, I LOVE MIKEY, Chibi Rose Angel, Dr.JNHardy, and shellsboy24. **You guys totally rock! Now, on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. I did throw a party for their 100th episode. Turtles belong to Eastman and Laird. Congratulations on 100 episodes, guys! Here's to 100 more!

The next morning, Kaylee opened her eyes and leaped out of bed. She couldn't wait to eat one of Mikey's tasty breakfasts. It was so much better than the food she used to eat at the orphanage.

She went downstairs and found Leonardo, Splinter, Lisa, and Kaia watching the news. Well, at least three of them were watching the news. Kaia was busy drawing in her sketch pad. Kaylee hated the news. It always made her sad to see death and hear about it. She liked to focus on happy things.

Splinter saw that she was up and greeted her. "Would you like to watch something else?" he asked her.

"No thanks," answered Kaylee. "Where's Mikey? Shouldn't he be cooking breakfast now?"

"Your brother is still sleeping, my daughter," replied Splinter. "We will let him rest. You may have your own breakfast for today."

"But I can't cook like Mikey can," protested Kaylee.

"But you can eat cereal," pointed out Kaia. "We still have some left. That's what I'm gonna have." She went into the kitchen and got the Cocoa Puffs out of the cupboard. Kaylee got out the Pop Tarts while Splinter put them in the toaster. Thanks to Leonardo, Splinter had learned to use this appliance as well as the microwave. Then Mariel, Donatello, Raphael, and Destiny entered the room.

As they were sitting down to eat, Michelangelo came into the room, followed by Klunk. "Morning, everybody," he greeted them.

"Good morning, my son," Splinter greeted back. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Sensei, I did," replied Mikey. "I'm sorry I overslept though. I wanted to make you guys a good breakfast since we're going to the Battle Nexus later on."

"It's okay, Mikey," said Kaylee. "We have cereal."

"Come on, Mikey, eat with us," urged Leo.

"Don't mind if I do," said Mikey cheerfully. He sat down beside Kaylee and Raph gave him a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

After breakfast was over, the Turtles and the girls had a short training session. Splinter had decided that the girls would train, too. He felt that they would benefit by learning the skills so that they could defend themselves against foes. They were doing very well so far, and Splinter had confidence that they would be able to handle themselves in a dangerous situation if they needed to.

Splinter ended the session with a pleased smile on his face. "Very good, my sons and daughters," he commented. "This was a good session. I do not want to overdo it today, since the Battle Nexus is tonight. Dismissed." They bowed to him and left the dojo.

"Man, that was a good practice," said Kaylee. "I can't wait till I'm good and old enough to compete in the Battle Nexus Tournament."

"Um, I hate to break it to you, little sis, but no women compete in the Battle Nexus," said Mikey.

"You're kidding!" gasped Destiny. "Why not? Does the Daimyo think women are too fragile or somethin'?"

"Probably," teased Raphael. "You'd be scared you'd break a nail." That earned him a punch on the arm from Destiny.

"Raphael! Destiny! That is enough!" chastised Splinter. "Women did compete in the Battle Nexus years ago. At least, one woman did."

"Who was she?" asked Lisa.

"The Daimyo's wife," replied Splinter. "She was a good warrior and could beat even the strongest man. Her participation brought scorn and hatred from the other combatants. They felt it was not fair for a woman to compete."

"How horrible!" said Mariel softly. "Did she prove them wrong, Master Splinter?"

"Yes, she did, Mariel," answered Splinter. "She won the competition."

"So, she became the Battle Nexus Champion?" Kaia asked.

"Yes, she did," Splinter replied. "But sadly, that became her downfall. After the tournament was over, she was walking down the street to get some air. Then, some of the other combatants set upon her. She was outnumbered and could not fight back. She was beaten to death."

Kaylee gasped. "Oh no!" she cried.

"I'll bet the Daimyo wasn't too happy," Destiny commented.

"No, he was not," Splinter said, shaking his head. "He arrived at the scene and found his wife dead. He arrested the ones who had killed her and ordered that they be killed for the crime. Then he called off the Battle Nexus for good. He never wanted to host the tournament again. Of course, that would change once he got over his grief. That was around the time that my own Master Yoshi started to fight in the tournament."

"So, the Daimyo didn't allow women to participate because he was afraid something similar would happen to them," Mariel said thoughfully.

"Exactly," Splinter said. "So, do you understand why this had happened, my daughters?"

"Yeah, I do," Destiny said. "I just think it's a shame that someone so good had to die."

"I know," Lisa agreed. "It was cruel. They were just jealous that she won. That's why she died."

"They were also mad that a woman beat them," Mariel pointed out. "They thought that if they killed her, they would be justified by their actions."

""Well, I'm glad the Daimyo punished them," Kaylee declared. "They deserved it."

"But he should have given them a trial," Kaia said. "That would have been the honorable thing to do."

"I agree, Kaia," Splinter said. "However, things are a bit different in the Daimyo's world than in our world. Now, I would advise you not to speak of this while we are at the Battle Nexus. We do not want to stir up old memories. Do you understand, my daughters?"

"Yes, Sensei," the girls replied.

"Good," Splinter said. "You may amuse yourselves as you like. I will let you know when it is time to leave." He smiled at them and went to his room.

The day flew by fast for Michelangelo, something he wanted to avoid. But before he knew it, it was time to leave for the competition. He gave Klunk a big hug saying, "Good-bye, Klunk. This may be the last time you'll see me as Battle Nexus Champion." Then he followed the others out the door, carrying his beloved trophy.

"So, how are we getting to the Battle Nexus?" Mariel asked. "Are we taking the Battle Shell?"

Kaylee giggled. "That would be funny," she said. "The Battle Shell at the Battle Nexus."

"No, we are going to walk," Splinter answered.

"Where exactly is the Battle Nexus?" Lisa asked Leo. "Is it in New York?"

"Not exactly," answered Leo. "It's in another dimension."

"Another dimension?" repeated Mariel. "That's not possible."

"Actually, it is," contradicted Donatello. "We've been to a few different dimensions."

"When are we goin' to get there?" whined Destiny. "My feet are hurting!"

"We are here now," said Splinter. They had stopped before an alley. The Turtles and Splinter started to go through with the girls following, but Kaia was scared. She was afraid someone would attack them, but Leo reassured her that she was safe. Splinter began drawing on the wall that they stopped before with chalk. After this was done, he began to chant. Suddenly, the portal for the Battle Nexus appeared.

"Wow!" exclaimed Kaylee. "That's so awesome!"

Everyone jumped into the portal, the girls screaming as they slid. Then everyone landed together with a thump.

"Where are we?" asked Kaia.

"This is the Battle Nexus," replied Leo.

"It's very beautiful," commented Lisa.

"Where's the tournament held?" asked Mariel.

"In the arena," said Don. "There's a big crowd that comes to watch."

"Then we'd better hurry if we want to get a good seat," said Kaylee. She started to walk off, but suddenly a portal appeared, and she backed up.

"What's going on?" asked Kaia fearfully.

"It looks like this is our preliminary round," said Leo.

"Preliminary round?" repeated Destiny. "What's that?"

"It is a beginning round to determine who will fight in the tournament," replied Splinter. He walked up to one of the aliens who had come through the portal and bowed to him. The alien bowed back. It was very big and towered over Splinter. The Turtles followed their master's lead and took a stance in front of the other aliens. Then the battle began.

Although they weren't fighting as a team, the Turtles and Splinter seemed to feed off of each other's minds. It was as though they all knew what to do and they were advising one another through a secret code. Even though the aliens were bigger than them, the Turtles and Splinter were fighting almost as though the aliens were as big as Foot Ninjas.

There was a tense moment when the alien Leo was battling threw him to the ground hard and prepared to crush him. Kaia screamed and tried to rush down to help him, but before she could take two steps, a blue dome surrounded her and the other girls. Then the floating man known as the gyoji appeared.

"Battle Nexus rules clearly state that there can be no outside interference," he stated.

"Nice going, Kaia," grumbled Destiny.

"I'm sorry!" wailed Kaia. "I just thought Leo was gonna get hurt!"

"But he's fine," Lisa reassured her. "Look!" Kaia looked and saw that Leo was indeed okay. He had just defeated his alien and was standing with a smile on his face.

In no time at all, the other Turtles and Splinter defeated their competitors as well. The gyoji declared them the winners of the bout. Then another portal opened and the Daimyo came out to greet them. Standing beside him was his ten-year-old son Ve-Sa. He had red hair and green eyes and glanced shyly at everyone from behind his father.

"Hamato Splinter, welcome back," greeted the Daimyo. "I see you and your sons are ready for the tournament."

"Yes, we are," said Splinter.

"And who are these fine young ladies?" inquired the Daimyo. "Friends of yours?"

"No, these are my adopted daughters," replied Splinter. Then the girls introduced themselves.

"It is an honor to meet all of you," said the Daimyo graciously. "Allow me to introduce my son, Ve-Sa. He is learning the ways of ninjitsu as well."

Ve-Sa smiled at them. "Call me Ve for short," he said.

"Pleased to meet you, Ve-chan," Kaia said. The others followed suit.

"So, where's the tournament held?" Destiny asked. "I mean, where's the arena?"

"It is not far," the Daimyo replied. "We will walk there."

As they walked along, Ve asked them questions about their lives and how they met the Turtles. The girls answered freely and asked Ve about his life. Then they entered a room filled with statues.

"What's this place?" Kaylee asked.

"This is the Pavillion of Past Champions," the Daimyo answered. "All these statues are of those who have won the Battle Nexus before. I believe three of these statues should interest you." He gestured to three statues that stood in a row.

Kaia gasped. "That's Master Splinter!" she said. "And that man must be Hamato Yoshi, right?"

"Correct, Kaia," Splinter said.

"And that other one is Mikey," Kaylee said. "Cool!"

"Yeah, it is kinda cool," said Mikey nervously. He was still thinking about how he might lose his title.

After they went to the Pavillion of Past Champions, they found themselves in the arena where the tournament would take place. The girls saw many warriors standing in the middle of the arena. Among them were some of the Turtles' friends including Traximus, a Triceraton warrior they had befriended, Miyamoto Usagi and Gennosuke, two of Leo's good friends who were a samurai and a bounty hunter.

"It is almost time," declared the Daimyo. "Come, we must go sit. You five girls will be sitting with Ve-Sa and me."

"Thank you very much, sir," said Lisa. The others also said thank you to him. Then after giving the Turtles and Splinter hugs of good luck, they followed the Daimyo and Ve to the top seat.

"Warriors, welcome to the Battle Nexus," said the Daimyo. "You have gathered here today to fight for glory and honor. All of you have come far and wide with one goal in mind. To become Battle Nexus Champion! Now, let the tournament begin! Prepare yourselves for the first round!" He lifted his war staff, and it emitted a glowing light. The light spun around the arena where the warriors were standing and created dividers as the warriors were paired up. "Begin!" the Daimyo commanded, and they did.

Donatello was fighting the same tree-like being he had faced last year. "Oh, shell," he muttered to himself. "I hope I don't mess up this time." He got into a stance and got ready for his opponent to come at him. The tree-like being gave him a nasty smile and charged at him, but Don was ready. His bo staff swung and tripped his opponent. The tree-like being tripped and tried to sideswipe Don, but the brainy Turtle was prepared. He vaulted over and turned around. Then, Don managed to disarm his opponent and hit him in the head. His opponent went down and lay there. Don leapt at him and he disappeared. The purple-clad Turtle was stunned. Had he just beaten the tree-like being? Yes, he had. He hadn't got eliminated. Don was very happy. For once, things were looking up.

Meanwhile, Leonardo was fighting an alien with spots on his body. It almost looked like he was suffering from chicken pox or the measles. However, despite his appearance, he was a pretty tough fighter. He had a spear-like weapon that flashed brightly. Leo sized up his opponent and went in for the attack. The alien was tough, countering every move that Leo threw at him. The blue-clad Turtle felt that he wouldn't win, until the alien made a mistake. Leo used this to his advantage to trip up the alien and move in for what would have been a killing blow. The alien gave a roar of rage as it disappeared in a flash of blue light. Leo smiled happily, glad that he'd beaten the alien.

Raphael wasn't having as tough of a fight as his brothers were. He was fighting an alien with three eyes who didn't seem to have any experience in fighting battles. Raph managed to beat it fairly quickly, which he felt was unfair. He loved it when his opponent put up a fight. This alien, however, was slow to retaliate. In no time at all, Raph managed trick him and pull off a tricky move he'd invented, making the alien disappear. Raph grinned in triumph and hoped that his next opponent would be tougher.

Splinter was fighting Traximus. The Triceraton warrior was reluctant to fight Splinter because of his relationship to the Turtles. Still, he did what he had to do. He charged at Splinter with his axe held in front of him, but the old rat was too quick. Splinter used a flurry of moves that Traximus had a hard time countering. Traximus tried a sweep with his axe, but Splinter jumped and gave him a flurry of kicks. Traximus fell against the wall, and Splinter got ready to give him a final blow. The Triceraton warrior disappeared before Splinter could land the blow. Splinter bowed as Traximus left.

Meanwhile, Mikey was fighting Dijinn, the one Splinter had fought last time. The Turtle in orange was very nervous. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to win. Dijinn charged him, but Mikey dodged under. When Dijinn charged again, Mikey tried to duck, but this time it didn't work. Then Mikey tried using some of his own moves, but Dijinn countered them. Mikey was doing all he could, but it wasn't working. Dijinn landed a heavy punch and sent Mikey flat on his shell. Before Mikey could get up, he saw Dijinn's fist coming towards him. He let out a high-pitched scream before he disappeared and appeared in the elimination box.

"Where am I?" asked Mikey, looking around him.

"You are in the elimination box," said the gyoji. "You have been eliminated from the tournament."

Mikey gasped. "Are you kidding me?" he cried. "How could this happen? I can't be out of it! Tell me this is just a joke!"

"I am afraid this is no joke," said the gyoji gently.

"Do you know what this means?" gasped Mikey. The gyoji didn't answer. "It means I'm not the Battle Nexus Champion anymore!" Mikey wailed. "I'm a loser! A nobody!"

"Do not be discouraged, my friend," Traximus said sympathetically. "One cannot win all the time."

"Traximus, what are you doing here?" Mikey asked. "Are you still looking for warriors to help you with the war with the Federation?"

"Not this time," Traximus answered. "I just came because I enjoyed it last time. Your brother named Raphael puts up a good fight."

"Well, you could've beaten him if you knew how," Mikey commented.

"How could I have beaten him?" Traximus inquired.

Mikey smiled a little. "Just make him really mad," he explained. "He'll lose his focus. But don't tell him I told you that."

"I won't," Traximus promised.

Then they heard the Daimyo say, "Congratulations on making it to the second round. Now prepare for tier two!"

"It looks as though the second round is starting," said Traximus.

"Yeah, I guess so," replied Mikey.

"Are you going to watch?" Traximus asked him.

"Nah, not right now," answered Mikey. He didn't think he could bear to see his brothers fight. It wasn't that he wasn't happy about them advancing, but he was afraid his brothers would rub it in his face that he'd lost.

Meanwhile, in the arena, the tournament continued. Donatello was facing an alien who was kind of pudgy. Still, despite the appearance, this alien was a tough fighter. He was blue with intense eyes that startled Don for a minute. But the brainy Turtle had a few tricks up his sleeve, and he used them. The alien didn't know what to think, but he couldn't counter some of Don's moves and got eliminated.

For Leonardo, Fate had taken over once again because he found himself facing Miyamoto Usagi for the second time. He smiled at the samurai and said, "I guess this is déjà vu, huh, Usagi?"

"Yes, Fate has played a trick on us again, Leonardo-san," said Usagi. "As I said last time, may the best swordsman win."

"Bring it on," said Leo drawing his katanas.

The battle was very intense. Leo and Usagi were evenly matched. Every time one of them would try to execute a move, the other would counter it. For a little while, it seemed as if the match wouldn't end, but Leo had an idea. As Usagi charged him, Leo swept his feet out from under him and moved in for the blow. Usagi gave Leo a smile as he disappeared. Leo bowed at the place where Usagi was moments before.

Meanwhile, Raphael was battling Gen. At first, Raph felt he had this battle won, but he really didn't know how tough the bounty hunter rhino really was. Raph, like Leo, tried every move he could think of, but Gen countered it. Finally, Raph managed to flip Gen over, making the rhino land on his back. Then Raph flipped up and made the bounty hunter disappear.

"Yes!" yelled the red-clad Turtle in triumph. He was so glad he was able to advance to the next round. "Mikey must be kicking himself," he muttered.

Splinter didn't have the good luck his sons did. He was fighting an alien that was as quick as he in countering moves. Even though Splinter was good, he had a hard time matching this alien's technique. Still, Splinter fought hard, using as many moves as he could. The battle ended when the alien knocked Splinter's stick out of his hands, kicked him against the wall, and made the final blow, but Splinter disappeared.

When Splinter appeared in the elimination box, he saw Usagi talking to Traximus and also saw his son Michelangelo sitting against the wall. The old rat could tell that his son was troubled and decided to talk to him.

"What troubles you, my son?" he asked. "Why are you sitting here by yourself?"

"Oh, hey, Sensei," said Michelangelo. "What are you doing here?"

"I was eliminated from the tournament," answered Splinter. "Why are you so troubled?"

"Well, I am a little bummed," explained Mikey. "I lost my trophy. I'm no longer Battle Nexus Champion."

Splinter smiled gently. He knew how much that trophy had meant to Michelangelo. "That is not true, my son," he said. "You will always be a Battle Nexus Champion even without a trophy."

"What do you mean?" asked Mikey.

"You have your statue in the Pavillion of Past Champions, do you not, Michelangelo?"

"Yeah, I do," said Mikey. "What's your point, Master Splinter?"

"My point is that because you have a statue, you will always be considered a Battle Nexus Champion. You are not a loser, Michelangelo. You are a good warrior who fought well."

"Thanks, Sensei," said Mikey, bowing to him. "You really know how to make someone feel better." He smiled.

"I am glad I cheered you up," replied Splinter. "Come, we will join your other brothers and sisters. The intermission should be now."

"Okay," said Mikey. He followed Splinter out of the elimination box and over to where the girls were sitting. Usagi and Traximus joined them.

"Mikey!" cried Kaylee. She ran to give him a hug. Mikey picked her up and swung her around. She squealed happily.

"Hey, we saw you fighting out there," said Lisa. "You were pretty good."

"Yeah, you rocked, Mikey!" said Kaylee.

"Hey, thanks, guys," said Mikey with a smile.

"Hey, here comes Leo, Don, and Raph," said Kaia. "Hey, guys! Good job on advancing to the next round."

"Thanks, Kaia," said Leonardo with a smile.

"You're not too upset, are you, Mikey?" asked Raphael.

"No, not anymore," said Mikey. "Master Splinter told me that I'm still a champion because of my statue."

"Speaking of that, can we go back to the Pavillion of Past Champions?" asked Kaia. "I didn't get to see all the statues."

"Sure, we can go there real quick," said Leo. "Then we can walk around the marketplace."

"Sweet!" said Kaylee. "I can't wait to go back."

They headed back to the Pavillion of Past Champions. Kaia went among all the statues, looking at all of them. She couldn't believe there were so many past champions.

"Hey, look at this guy," said Kaylee. "He's so big." The others came to look at the statue. It was of a man in armor with spikes on his hands.

"Whoa!" Mikey exclaimed. "That looks like Shredder."

'That's what I thought, too," Leonardo said. "I saw it when I got attacked by the assassins."

Raphael growled. "Don't tell me _he _was a Battle Nexus Champion too!" he snarled.

"Well, considering that his statue's in this pavilion, I'd say it's a possibility," said Don matter-of-factly.

Raph gave the statue a dirty look. "C'mon, let's get out of here," he muttered.

They left and went out to the marketplace, looking at the various stands that were out. They saw many of the aliens that had competed in the tournament. Some were friendly and waved as the group passed, but others just turned away when Kaylee said hello.

Then the gyoji appeared to tell them that the third round was about to start. The girls, Mikey, Usagi, Traximus, Gen, who had joined them a little later, and Splinter wished Leo, Don, and Raph good luck. The three Turtles thanked them and headed back to the arena.

"Warriors, prepare for the third round," the Daimyo said.

The gyoji led them to a glowing portal ball. "This round will pair you by random lottery," he said.

The contestants picked a color and were paired in that way. Whoever got the same color were the ones that fought one another. Leo, Raph, and Don weren't fighting one another, which was a relief to them. They found the ones they were facing and got ready to fight.

The third round was a lot harder than the previous two rounds. It was a lot more intense, and the Turtles could feel that their opponents were determined to win. Don grew nervous and made a mistake. His opponent used it to his advantage and Don was eliminated. Leo and Raph managed to beat their opponents, putting them in the final four with two other aliens.

"The fourth round is about to begin," the gyoji announced. "The ones advancing to the fourth round are Leonardo of dimension third Earth, Galanga of dimension Malk, Raphael of dimension third Earth, and Emio from dimension Fedra." He conjured a portal. "Step through the portal," he told the contestants. "It will pair you randomly."

Leo and Raph wished each other good luck and stepped through. Each was paired with one of the other aliens, who looked a little intimidating. Raph just snarled and prepared to fight while Leo bowed to his opponent. Then the battle began. It was close many times as both pairs had near wins. Raph was getting anxious, and even Leo was a little worried. Luckily, both Turtles managed to defeat their opponents, making themselves the final two contestants.

Raphael couldn't believe it. "I have to fight you?" he gasped at Leo.

"Looks like it," Leo quipped.

The gyoji transported the two Turtles to their final arena. Raph and Leo bowed to each other and got ready to fight.

"Well, good luck, Raph," Leonardo said. "Don't get upset if I beat you."

"In your dreams, Sword Boy," Raph retorted. He pulled out his sais. "Let's do this," he said.

"You're on, Hothead," Leo said, drawing his katanas.

Clash! Clash! Clash! Leo and Raph kept countering each other's moves. Having sparred with each other many times, the two could tell what the other would do. It was a battle that no one had seen before. Both of them gave it their all. Then Leo managed to knock Raphael down and made to finish him off, but Raph anticipated this He flipped Leo over, only intending to make him land on his shell. But the red-clad Turtle put too much force into it. When Leo landed, he landed in an awkward position with his right leg under him. He even felt it snap.

Raph was shocked. "Leo!" he cried. He hurried to his brother's side. "Where does it hurt?" he asked.

"It's my ankle," Leo said weakly. "I think it's broken."

"Oh, man, I'm so sorry!" moaned Raph. "I didn't mean to do that!"

"It's okay, Raph," Leo reassured him. "I know you didn't mean it." He smiled at his brother in red. "Take the championship," he said. "You can be Battle Nexus Champion. All you have to do is make a killing blow."

Raphael thought for a minute. Yes, he could finish Leo off and become Battle Nexus Champion. He could get back at Mikey for all the times he's shoved it in Raph's face. He could stand above his brothers, the best of them all. But then he looked at his brother in blue. Leo needed this. He'd been screwed out of it last time. Plus, he was the one who was dedicated to ninjitsu. Leo deserved to win, and Raph was determined to make it so.

"I'm not gonna finish you off, Leo," he said decidedly. "You deserve this more than I do. You should be the Champion. I'm forfeiting."

"Are you sure?" Leo asked him.

"Dead sure," said Raphael.

Then the gyoji appeared. "Do you wish to continue?" he asked them.

"No," replied Raph. "I forfeit. Leo deserves to win."

"So noted," said the gyoji. Then he made the announcement to the crowd. "The warrior Leonardo will need to go to the Healer's Pavilion at once," he said.

Raphael helped Leo up as the gyoji transported them to the Master Healer. He examined the Turtle's leg thoroughly.

"Is he gonna be okay?" asked Raph anxiously.

"He will be fine," replied the Master Healer. "It is broken, but I can set it. He will make a full recovery as long as he is careful." The Healer then set to work on setting Leo's ankle. The Turtle in blue winced, but Raph was there to hold his hand. After the ankle was set and bandaged, they were taken to the Daimyo who presented Leo with trophy and declared him Battle Nexus Champion. Then he transported everyone back to the Lair.

"Wow!" exclaimed Kaylee. "That was awesome!"

"It was just as exciting as any wrestling match," commented Destiny. "But, Raph, why didn't you finish Leo off? Didn't you want to win?"

"I thought I did at first," admitted Raphael. "But I felt that Leo deserved it more than me. Plus, I wasn't gonna pull a Shredder and hurt my brother while he was wounded. There's no honor in that."

"You did the right thing, Raphael," said Splinter. "I am proud of you."

Don settled Leo on the couch and got him an ice pack and some painkillers. "You won't be able to train for a while," he warned. "You'll have to stay on the couch for a few days. I'll go to April's later on to see if she's got crutches for you."

"Will Leo be okay?" asked Kaia worriedly. She was crying.

"Kaia, don't worry," Leo reassured her. "I'm gonna be fine."

"Hey, Raph, I just thought of something," said Mikey. "You've achieved something that no one else has before."

"What's that?" asked Raph.

"You've managed to get your butt kicked by not one, but two of your brothers," laughed Mikey.

Raph growled. "Oh, that's it, Mikey," he snarled. "You're dead!"

Mikey let out a girlie scream and ran away while Raph chased after him.

Leo smiled. He knew that nothing would change between Raph and Mikey. They would always tease each other like that. Yet, he knew that they loved each other dearly. And now they had five sisters to love, too. He watched as Kaylee begged Raph to stop chasing Mikey and Destiny cheered Raph on. He saw Lisa smile and go to her room to read while Mariel and Donnie smiled and headed to the lab. Kaia was by Leo's side. She wouldn't leave.

"Kaia, go on to your room," commanded Leo. "I'll be okay."

"I want to stay with you," replied Kaia. "You're hurt."

"It's just my ankle," Leo reassured her. "I'll be fine. Once I get back on my feet, I'll spend time with you, okay?"

"Okay," said Kaia. She kissed her brother on the cheek. "'Night, Leo. I love you."

"Love you, too, sweetie," said Leo. "Sweet dreams." He kissed her on the cheek and watched her go upstairs. He knew that she'd worry about him all night. Just like Raph would too. They all shared a special bond, and Leo liked that. He wouldn't trade it for the world. That was his last thought as he drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Wow! Fifteen pages! This is the longest chapter I've written so far. I hope you like it. Mikey fans, please don't kill me because I made him lose. I wanted to teach him a lesson that he can't win all the time. I hope you like who I chose to win. Please read and review. What did you think of the 100th episode? I thought it rocked, but I feel sorry for Donnie. I hope they find a cure for him soon. Catch ya on the flip side.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Captured

A/N: Well, I've finally updated this story. I'm sorry for the delay, but schoolwork got in the way as it usually does. I will try to get this story done before I graduate college, which is basically after this current semester. Look out, world. Shell's entering the job market! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Now, I want to thank those who reviewed my fifth chapter. Thanks to: **Cynlee, Mac, Leo'sBaby80, Mikey's Kunoichi, Resevoir Warrior, Chibi Rose Angel, shellsboy24, Simple Siretta, MewFem, TigerChickTigriss, sunrider1, Calypphire, and Storm of Sparks. **You guys are the reason I'm still sticking with this thing. Thanks a million! Enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT. However, I am glad that the Lost Season is on and has shown me just what I have missed about the Turtles. TMNT are owned by Mirage Studios, Inc. I am making no profit off of this story.

Both Kaia and Raph did check on Leo during the night. The blue-clad Turtle reassured them he was okay, though he did need Raph's help to go to the bathroom. Once he was settled in, he ordered both of them to go to bed. Kaia went reluctantly, but Raphael didn't budge. He was too stubborn.

"Raph, go back to bed," commanded Leo. "I'm okay. You need to sleep because you've got practice in the morning."

Raphael ignored Leo's command. "You need any ice?" he asked instead.

"No, I'm okay," answered Leonardo. "I'm not in a lot of pain. If you want, you can give me some of Sensei's special tea so I don't have any pain at all."

"Okay," said Raph. He went to the kitchen to make the tea that Splinter often used when one of them was injured. After it was done, he carried it to Leo and gave it to him. The Turtle in blue drank the tea and thanked his brother for getting it.

"Hey, it's the least I can do," replied Raph. "After all, I did this to you."

"Raph, stop blaming yourself!" ordered Leo. "It was an accident. I'm not angry at you for what happened. In fact, I'm proud of you. You could have finished me off and won the tournament, but you didn't. You did the honorable thing by forfeiting the match to me. So, go back to sleep, bro. I forgive you."

Raph smiled. "Okay, you win," he said. "But in the morning, I'm checking on you."

Leo laughed. "Works for me," he said. "See you in the morning, Raph."

"See you then, Leo," replied Raph. Then he went upstairs to sleep. He really wanted to stay, but he knew that Leo didn't want special treatment. He wanted to just be on his own. Leo could be just as stubborn as Raph at times. Maybe that's why the two of them were so close.

The next morning, Leo woke up at the usual time. He reached for the remote and turned on the TV, and a blast of sound reached his ears. The blue-clad Turtle sighed in frustration. Mikey often forgot to turn the volume down after he finished watching. He quickly turned it down, afraid that everyone else would be woken up by the noise. Luckily, only Splinter came into the room.

"I'm sorry, Sensei," apologized Leo. "I didn't know the volume was up."

Splinter chuckled. "It is alright, Leonardo," he said. "You did not wake up because I was already awake." He looked at Leo's ankle. "How does it feel?" he asked.

"It's just a little sore," replied Leo. "I'll be okay."

"I know you will, my son," said Splinter with a smile. "I have noticed that Raphael has been by your side frequently."

"Yeah, he has," said Leo with a sigh. "I'm worried about him, Master Splinter. He's blaming himself for what happened. I keep telling him it wasn't his fault and that it was just an accident, but he won't listen to me. What can I do?"

"There's nothing you can do, Leonardo," answered Splinter. "You have tried to help him, but he needs to heal in his own time. You learned that yourself. However, I will talk to him. Maybe I can get him to open up to me."

"I hope so, Sensei." Leo told him. He didn't want Raph blaming himself for an accident. It made him feel sorry for his brother.

Leo's thoughts were interrupted when Kaia came downstairs. "Hi, Leo," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, Kaia," Leo answered. "My ankle isn't even sore."

"That's good," Kaia said happily. "I'm glad you're okay. Where's Mikey? He promised to make me pancakes."

"I'm right here," Mikey answered. He bounded down the stairs followed by Kaylee and Klunk. "One batch of chocolate chip pancakes coming up." He went into the kitchen to start up the stove.

Then Donatello and Mariel came downstairs. The Turtle in purple examined Leo's ankle and said it was healing nicely. He changed the bandages and put some ice on it. "Just as a precaution," he said. "I don't want it to start swelling again."

The smell of Mikey's cooking brought Raphael and Destiny downstairs. Lisa was sitting in a chair reading a book. The others were watching the news.

"Man, why do we have to watch this stuff?" complained Raph. "It's always bad news."

"It helps to know what is going on in the outside world, Raphael," answered Splinter.

"Yeah, but it's all about violence and death," pointed out Destiny. "They hardly ever report anything good."

"I know, my daughter," said Splinter, "but that is the harsh reality of this world that we live in."

"But happy things happen, too," said Kaylee. "If I become a news anchor, I'm gonna report on happy news, too."

"Breakfast's ready!" called out Mikey. "Come and get it."

"All right!" yelled Kaylee. She ran into the kitchen and climbed on a chair, followed by the others who were a little less enthusiastic.

"What about Leo?" Kaia asked. "Isn't he gonna eat?"

"Don't worry, little sis," Mikey reassured her. "I'm gonna give him a tray now."

"Oh, okay," Kaia said with relief. She returned to the pancakes Mikey had served her, savoring them. Mikey had put in the right amount of chocolate chips.

Kaia wanted to spend time with Leo after breakfast, but she had to go to practice with the others. She performed her katas and followed Splinter's directions, but she was sad that Leo wasn't there. Splinter noticed this but knew it would pass.

After practice was over, Kaia went into the living room and sat by Leo. He was watching _Emergency Vets _on Animal Planet. That was one of Kaia's favorite shows.

"Oh, that poor dog!" she said sympathetically as the vets brought in an injured Irish setter. "It looks like he hurt his leg."

"Well, I'm sure the vets will fix him up," Leo reassured her. "They're very good at helping animals."

"I hope so," said Kaia worriedly. "He looks so sad."

"Yeah, he does," agreed Kaylee. "If Klunk was sick would you guys take him to the vet?"

"You bet!" replied Mikey. "I wouldn't want my precious kitty to suffer." He cuddled Klunk who reveled in the attention he received from his master.

"Mikey, stop cooin' over that cat," complained Raph. 'You look like a sissy." He was feeling much better after his talk with Master Splinter about his worries over Leo. Splinter had assured him that the injury wasn't serious and that no one blamed Raph for what had happened. After hearing that, Raph had felt relief flood over him.

"Well, Klunk seems to like the attention," Lisa remarked as she watched Mikey and Kaylee both pet Klunk.

"Yeah, but he likes Raph even more," teased Destiny. "He was tryin' to cuddle with Raph last night."

"That's only because you put him in my hammock," retorted Raph. Secretly, he loved Klunk almost as much as Mikey, though he always tried not to show it in front of the family.

"I've read where animals will often be attached to the one who dislikes them the most," explained Don.

Later that afternoon, April came down with groceries and some crutches for Leo. Lisa and Destiny hurried to relieve her of her burden.

"How's it goin', April?" Mikey asked the redhead.

"Fine," April replied. "I got you enough food to last you for a while. I also brought crutches for Leo to use. Don told me about his injury and what happened. How does it feel?"

"It's much better," Leo answered. "Thanks for the crutches."

"No problem," April told him. "I'm always glad to help out my friends when they need it." She looked at the girls. "Well, it's a nice day out. I was wondering if you girls wanted to got to Central Park with me today. I figured you girls might want to get some fresh air for a little while."

"I'll go!" Kaylee said excitedly. "I think it'll be fun."

"I'd like to, but Don and I are visiting Professor Honeycutt and Leatherhead," Mariel explained. "They're gonna give us feedback on Don's latest invention."

"And Raph and I are gonna work on the Shell Cycle," Destiny added. "Casey's comin' over to help us."

"I'll go," said Lisa. "It will be nice to get out of the Lair for a change."

"What about you, Kaia?" asked April. "Would you like to go?"

"No, I think I'll stay here with Leo," answered Kaia. "I don't want him to be lonely."

Leo smiled at her. "I'll be fine, Kaia," he reassured her. "You go on and get some fresh air. You need it."

"Well…okay," said Kaia with a smile. "I guess I'll go too."

So April, Lisa, Kaylee and Kaia set out for the Park. It was a very nice day with a blue sky and a warm temperature. Once at the Park, Kaia and Kaylee saw a playground and hurried to get on the swings. But once they did, they didn't know what to do. They had never had swings at the orphanage.

April laughed. "Here, let me help you," she said to Kaylee. She got behind Kaylee and began to push her while Lisa did the same for Kaia. The girls loved it and started laughing. The sound brought tears to Lisa's eyes for she hadn't heard them laugh like that in a long time.

After they were tired of the swings, April bought them hot dogs and ice cream. Then they strolled through the park and into the city, looking at different things. A woman came up to talk to April about her antique shop. With her was a girl with blonde hair and green eyes. She looked to be about Lisa's age.

"Hi, I'm Nicole, but everyone calls me Nikki," she said. 'What's your name? "

"My name is Lisa," answered Lisa. "These are my sisters Kaylee and Kaia."

"Nice to meet you," said Nikki. "I don't have any siblings." Then she began to talk about herself while Lisa listened. When Nikki asked for Lisa to talk about herself, Lisa told her about living in an orphanage and getting adopted by April. She didn't want to tell Nikki about the Turtles or Splinter just yet. Nikki accepted her story and continued to talk with her about boys, television, and her favorite singers.

As the girls talked, Kaylee grew bored. Her eyes wandered over to the toy store across the street. She nudged Kaia to get her attention.

"What is it?" asked Kaia.

"Let's go look at the toys," replied Kaylee.

"Okay, but we have to tell Lisa," said Kaia.

Kaylee looked at Lisa, who was talking to Nikki. "She's busy talking to that girl," she said. "We'll just go over for a minute. Lisa won't miss us."

Kaia really didn't like the idea, but she didn't want to interrupt Lisa's conversation. Master Splinter had taught her that it was rude to interrupt someone's conversation. So, she nodded at Kaylee, and the two of them headed across the street, making sure to look for cars before they crossed. Once there, they hurried to the window to look at the dolls.

"They're so beautiful," Kaylee said. "We should ask April to get us one."

"But that wouldn't be polite," Kaia pointed out. "She's done too much for us already."

"Yeah, you're right," Kaylee agreed.

Suddenly, something brushed against Kaia's legs. She turned around to find a black and white cat looking up at her. "Aww, you're so cute!" she exclaimed. "Are you looking for your owner?"

"It's probably just a stray," Kaylee told her.

"Then maybe we should take it home," suggested Kaia.

"We can't," protested Kaylee. "We already have a cat at home. If we brought this cat home, Klunk would get jealous."

Kaia knew Kaylee was right, but she had hoped that maybe this cat and Klunk would become friends once they saw each other. "Maybe we should try to find out who has lost a cat," she suggested. She bent down to pick up the cat, but the cat ran from her. Undaunted, Kaia chased after it.

"Kaia, come back!" cried Kaylee. She should've gone to Lisa for help, but she didn't. Instead, she chased after her sister, hoping that Kaia wouldn't get lost.

Kaia didn't hear her sister's cry because she was so focused on chasing the cat. "Here, kitty kitty," she called, following the cat into an alley.

Kaylee was tailing her stubborn sister when she tripped on her shoelaces. They often came untied, but Kaylee never noticed it until she tripped and fell. "Stupid shoe," she muttered as she tied it back up. Just as she finished tying, she heard Kaia's scream.

"Oh no!" she cried. "Kaia!" She ran toward the alley where Kaia had disappeared in. As she approached it, she only saw the cat her sister had run after. She turned to see Lisa, Nikki, April, and Nikki's mother in the entrance to the alley.

"Kaylee, what happened?" Lisa demanded. "We heard Kaia scream and saw you run this way."

"Kaia's gone!" Kaylee wailed. "I tried to go after her, but she's gone!"

Suddenly, Lisa cried, "Look!" A van shot out of the adjacent alley. Lisa took note of the license plate numbers. She wished the Turtles were there because they'd go after the van. Lisa would have bet a million dollars that Kaia was being taken away in that van.

"What are we gonna do?" Kaylee moaned.

April got out her cell phone and called the police. She reported what had happened and listened to what the officer told her. "Thank you," she said.

"What did they say?" asked Lisa after April had hung up.

"They're sending someone over now," replied April.

A few minutes later a police car pulled up to the curb. Two officers got out and surveyed the group.

"Who saw the kidnapping?" the first officer asked them.

"No one," April replied. "We heard Kaia scream and ran to the alley, but she was gone."

"Why did she go into the alley?" the second officer inquired.

"S—she was chasing a c—cat," Kaylee sobbed. "I t—tried to go after her, b—but I tripped on my shoelaces and fell. Then I h—heard her scream and went into the alley, b—but she w—wasn't there."

"Who was supposed to be watching these two young girls?" the first officer questioned.

"I was," Lisa answered. "I was talking to Nikki and had forgotten about them."

"It wasn't Lisa's fault," Kaylee told them. "Kaia wanted to let her k—know where we were, but I told Kaia not to tell her. A c—cat came, and Kaia thought about bringing him home. I told her we already had a c—cat, so she d—decided to see if someone else lost a cat. She t—tried to pick it up, but the cat ran from her. T—that's when she ran into the alley, and I couldn't get to her in time!" Here, she burst into a storm of tears. Lisa went to her and gave her a hug.

The two officers conferred for a few minutes. Then the first officer turned to April and said, "We'll send out an Amber Alert so citizens can keep a look out for her. Are you sure you've told us everything we need to know?"

"Not everything," said Lisa. "Right after we came to the alley, I saw a van come out of the adjacent alley." She pointed to where she had seen the van make its hasty exit. She then gave them the license plate numbers, which they wrote down.

After that, April gave them more information on Kaia so that they could send out the Amber Alert. She even gave them a photo of Kaia that had been taken at a photo studio, which had been done for all of the girls. The officers thanked her and promised to contact her if they found Kaia or had any leads.

When the policemen left, April took the girls back to the Lair. Nikki gave Lisa her number before they left and told them that she hoped things would be okay. Lisa thanked her and promised to keep Nikki updated if Kaia was found. She just hoped her little sister was okay. She could see that Kaylee was distraught, which made her feel worse. It was her fault this had happened. If she had been watching the girls, Kaia wouldn't have run into that alley and gotten kidnapped.

Back at the Lair, Leonardo had a feeling that something was wrong. When Donatello and Mariel came back from their visit, he expressed his worry to them.

The purple-banded Turtle shrugged his shoulders. "Likely it isn't anything, Leo," he said. "I wouldn't worry about it."

Up in the warehouse, Destiny, Raphael, and Casey were working on the Shell Cycle. When the warehouse door opened, they stopped what they were doing and noticed that one of the girls was missing.

"Where's Kaia?" asked Destiny.

"She got kidnapped," said Lisa, tears running down her face.

"What?!" exclaimed Raph. "How the shell did this happen?"

"It was my fault," said Kaylee. Then she explained exactly what had happened before she lost sight of Kaia. "I'm such an idiot!" she wailed and began to cry some more.

"Kaylee, it's my fault," contradicted Lisa. "I wasn't watching you guys as I should have been. I wasn't being a good big sister."

"You can say that again," muttered Destiny. She couldn't believe Lisa would do such a thing. Lisa was always the responsible one.

Before Lisa could respond, Raph suggested that they go down and tell the others. When they got down to the Lair, they found Don, Mariel, Mikey, and Splinter talking to Leo.

This time April broke the news to them. "Kaia's been kidnapped," she said.

Leo looked at Don. "I knew something had happened," he said. "Did you see her get taken?"

"No," Lisa told him. Then she related the whole incident to them from start to finish.

Mikey was hugging a sobbing Kaylee. "Who would do this?" he asked. He looked ready to cry himself.

"Karai would," Leo said instantly. "She's the one who wanted Kaia in the first place. I'd bet my katanas on it."

"Did you contact the police?" Don asked April.

"Yeah, I did," April replied. "I thought that if I didn't, it would look suspicious. They told me they'd send out an Amber Alert so citizens could start looking for her."

"Well, I say we pay Karai a little visit and kick some shell," Raphael declared, slamming his fist into his open palm.

"That's not a good idea, Raph," Leo told him. "If we do that, the police might find it odd they contact April and she tells them that Kaia was rescued. I think we should wait and formulate a plan instead of just barging in."

"Easy for you to say," Raph snapped. "You're just gonna sit on your butt here at home."

"And whose fault is that?" Leo threw back.

Raph was going to say something, but Splinter intervened. "Your brother is right, Raphael," he said. "We should let the police do some investigating first. If they get no leads, that is when you and your brothers will step in."

The red-banded Turtle didn't like this idea, but he knew better than to contradict his sensei. Instead, he headed to the dojo to vent his feelings on the punching bag.

April and Casey said their good-byes and went home. Mikey sat with Kaylee on his lap next to Leo while Lisa and Destiny headed to their rooms and Mariel went back to the lab with Don. They were all worried for their sister and wanted to help her as soon as they could. They only hoped that she would be able to hold on until they could get to Foot Headquarters and bring her back home.

**Meanwhile…**

Kaia opened her eyes and noticed that it was very dark. She felt her way around and knew that she was in a van by the jostling. As she tried to move her legs, she noticed that her hands and legs were tied and that she was gagged. She wanted to scream, but she knew no one would hear her.

How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was chasing the cat into the alley. She had felt that someone was coming up behind her, but she only had time to turn around and scream before something struck her head. Kaia had a feeling that Karai was behind this and hoped that her brothers would rescue her soon.

Suddenly, the van stopped and two doors slammed. Kaia heard footsteps approach the rear before the doors were flung open. The sudden burst of light made Kaia squint her eyes. The men grabbed and untied her legs so that she could walk.

The young girl saw a large building looming before her. This must be Foot Headquarters, she thought. She didn't want to go in there, but she knew she wouldn't be able to fight these men. Her head hurt and she even felt a little nauseous.

The men took her to an elevator and guided her in. As it rose, Kaia couldn't help but wonder just what Karai had in store for her. Would she leave the Turtles alone, or was she using Kaia as bait to lure them from the Lair.

The elevator doors opened, and Kaia was taken to a rather large bedroom. It had a bed with a canopy and a large closet. The gag was removed, and Kaia's hands were untied as well. The men pushed her into the room and closed the door after her.

Kaia went over to the bed and sat down. It was bleak room, and Kaia didn't want to be here. She missed Leonardo's room with its peaceful atmosphere and cleanliness. This room looked as though no one had lived here for a long time and was bare of any decoration. It felt like a prison, while Leo's room felt like a safe haven for Kaia. She missed the posters on the wall of sword masters and the animal posters Leo had put up just for her.

Kaia tensed when the door handle turned and Karai entered the room. Even though Kaia hadn't seen her for a little while could tell that the woman felt triumphant that she had finally gotten what she wanted.

"How is your head?" Karai asked her.

A surge of defiance rose up in Kaia. Normally, she would have been scared of this woman, but after being adopted by the Turtles, Kaia had learned that the best way to conquer her fears was to face them head on.

"It hurts because your dumb lackeys decided to knock me out," she replied. She didn't even try to hide the anger in her voice. Destiny and Raph would've been so proud of her.

"I apologize for that," Karai told her. "I did not order them to harm you in that way. I will make sure it is treated properly. I do not want anything to happen to you, my daughter."

"I am not your daughter!" Kaia snapped. "I have a family who loves me dearly. Leo told me all about you and what you've done to him and the others. The Turtles will come and rescue me from your clutches."

Anger coursed through Karai as Kaia mentioned the Turtles. Before Kaia could even blink, the older woman struck her across the face, leaving a red mark on the girl's cheek.

"Don't you ever mention those freaks again!" she snarled. "They are not your family anymore. You are not to mention them or your other sisters. The Foot is your family now and they will care for you. I will talk more about this later. For now, I will have our doctor come up and treat your wounds. Then I will have someone bring you something to eat. I have some important matters to attend to, but I will check on you before you go to sleep. You are to treat anyone I send in with the same respect you are to show me. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Kaia whispered. She understood everything. Karai didn't care about her at all. She just wanted a daughter who would one day take over the Foot. That was the business Karai had meant when she had mentioned it at the orphanage. That was her real motive.

After Karai left, Kaia went to the window and looked out. She could see many buildings looming around her. They looked very intimidating in this room instead of looking majestic as they always had before. It was almost as though they, too, were there to guard her so that she couldn't escape. She wished more than ever that she'd had her Shell Cell on her so that she could call her brothers. They would have come in a heartbeat to rescue her.

"Guys, where are you?" she whimpered. "Please get me out of here. I don't want to be here anymore." Tears trailed down her cheeks as she thought of the family she would more than likely never see again.

A/N: And another chapter is completed. I don't know when the next one will be up, but I'll try to get it up as soon as I can. Please read and review! Have a shelltastic day!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Escape Plan

A/N: Hey, I know it's been a long time since I updated this, but I've been very busy. First there was college, then graduating from college, then job hunting, and a long space of writer's block that prevented me from updating this story. But finally, the writer's block has ceased, and I have been able to finish this story. So, updates will be a lot faster if possible. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. It's because of you that I'm continuing to write this. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT. I do own The Hamato Sisters and the plot of this story.

That night, the inhabitants of the Lair were subdued. Wrestling was on, but it appeared to Splinter as though no one was watching it. Destiny, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Lisa were sitting on the floor, while Mariel sat in the other armchair reading a book. Donatello was in his lab working on the computer. Splinter was sitting in his chair with a sleeping Kaylee on his lap. Leo was on the couch still nursing his hurt ankle.

When a commercial came on, Splinter saw Raphael and Destiny get up with sighs of frustration. The old rat thought this behavior was a little odd because Raphael always watched the whole show no matter what. Then he remembered that Kaia was missing and that everyone was worried for her.

"Hey, Raph, where are you going?" Michelangelo asked.

"I'm going to bed," Raph replied.

"Aren't you two going to watch the rest of the show?" Lisa asked them.

"Nope," Destiny answered. "We're both too tired. Besides, we know what will happen at the end anyway." And with that, she and Raph made their way upstairs.

"I believe I will take Kaylee upstairs now," said Splinter. "She is fast asleep."

"I'll take her up, Sensei," volunteered Mikey. Splinter rarely went upstairs, and when he did, he always had to hold onto the railing for support. The orange-clad Turtle knew that it would be hard for his father to negotiate the stairs with Kaylee in his arms.

"Why, thank you for offering, Michelangelo," said Splinter graciously. He handed the girl over to his youngest son after kissing her on the forehead. He only hoped that she wouldn't carry the burden of what happened to Kaia. The rat decided he would talk to Kaylee and Lisa tomorrow about the events and counsel them.

Mikey took his sister upstairs and laid her on the bunk below his. As he looked at her sleeping form, he couldn't help but feel pity for what she had gone through. Mikey had often had guilty feelings, mostly when one of his brothers got hurt. He always felt that if he had been able to do something, his brothers would be okay. This had happened at least two times so far. The first time was when Leo got ambushed by the Foot, and the second time was when Splinter was really sick. Both times he had felt so helpless just as Kaylee was feeling now.

"Don't worry, Kay," he whispered. "We'll get Kaia back one way or another. I promise." He bent down and kissed her on the cheek then headed back downstairs to watch wrestling.

Leonardo looked up as his little brother came downstairs. "Is Kaylee in bed?" he asked.

"Yep," answered Mikey. He resumed his place on the floor and offered Leo a bag of chips. "Want one?"

"Sure," said Leo as he took a chip from the bag.

Mikey offered the bag to Lisa, but she shook her head. The orange-clad ninja waved the bag in front of her, trying to get her to give in. "C'mon, Lisa," he begged. "You know you want one."

Lisa responded by lifting her hand and knocking the bag out of Mikey's hand. Then she stormed to her room.

Mikey was surprised. "I was just kidding," he said. "Why did she get so mad?"

"She's obviously still upset, Mikey," Leo told him. "Maybe I should go and talk to her."

"No, I'll do it," Mariel offered. "I'm pretty sure I can get through to her. Besides, Don says you still need to rest that ankle. Just let me handle Lisa."

Leo nodded and gave her a warm smile. "Good luck," he told her.

"Thanks," Mariel said, returning the smile. Then she went to her older sister's room. She found Lisa sitting on her bed, staring at the floor. The brown-haired girl felt so sorry for her older sister.

Lisa turned and glared at her younger sister, her green eyes flashing with anger. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"I want to talk to you, replied Mariel. "You're obviously upset, and I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about it."

"Not really," said Lisa. "We both know I suck as a sister."

Mariel was taken aback. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "You're a great sister."

"No, I'm not," contradicted Lisa. "I wasn't watching Kaylee and Kaia like I should have. If I hadn't been talking to Nikki, Kaia would be here."

"Not necessarily," said Mariel. "It could have happened even if you had watching them. The cat could've still come along, and Kaia still would've chased after it. You probably wouldn't have been able to catch her because of how fast she is."

Lisa wanted to roll her eyes. Trust Mariel to come up with some logical comeback. "What's your point?" she inquired.

"My point is that you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened," answered Mariel. "There's nothing more we can do. All we can do is just wait for the police to come up with a lead." She could tell that Lisa wasn't going to stop blaming herself. "If you need to talk, I'm here," she said as she opened the door and left.

Leonardo looked up as Mariel came back into the living room. "So, how did it go?" he asked her.

"Not good," replied Mariel. "I don't think I got through to her."

"Do not be discouraged, my daughter," reassured Splinter. "You tried to talk to her, which is a good thing. I will talk to both Lisa and Kaylee tomorrow. Maybe I can get through to them."

"I hope so, Sensei," said Mariel. "I just don't want Lisa to blame herself anymore. Well, I guess I'll go to bed now. Goodnight, everyone."

"Goodnight, Mariel," her brothers and father said. Mikey followed her upstairs, but Splinter and Leo stayed downstairs to watch the news as they did every night.

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Up in his room, Raphael listened to the voices downstairs. He couldn't wait for everyone to go to bed so he could sneak out and go topside. He knew that if he tried it now, the others would see that his bed was empty, which would result in a search for him. Normally, they just let him go out, but Master Splinter had forbidden anyone from leaving the Lair. But what was the sense in lying low? Shouldn't they be searching for Kaia right now? She was probably very frightened and lonely. Raph decided he would go out and see if he could get any information about Kaia's disappearance. You couldn't rely on the cops all the time. Most of the time they would only work on a case for a day or two and then move on to something else.

At long last, Raph heard Splinter turn the television off and head upstairs to check on everyone. Normally, Leo would do this, but since he was injured, Splinter had decided to fill that role. The Turtle in red quickly buried his face in his pillow so Splinter would think he was asleep. He heard his sensei go to Donnie's room to check on him and Mariel then he came to Raph's room. He felt his father's eyes on him, but Splinter didn't say a word. He finally moved on to check on his younger brother and Kaylee. After that, he heard Splinter pass his room again to go downstairs and heard his sensei's bedroom door sliding shut, which meant he had gone to bed for the night.

Now was his chance! He got out of his hammock and landed light on the floor. He checked to see if Destiny had heard him, but she was still asleep. So far, so good. Raph tiptoed to a section of his wall nearest the door. Once there, he took down a poster of one of his favorite rock bands and slid back the secret panel that was cleverly hidden there. He took out a flashlight and headed into the tunnel, closing the panel behind him.

The tunnel was dark, but that's where the flashlight came in handy. He knew that if his brothers found the tunnel, they would think he made it himself. In reality, the tunnel had always been there when Raph had first found out he had a secret passage. It had come in handy many times, and Raph was glad he had it now.

At the end of the tunnel was a vent. Raph knocked it out and made his way into the warehouse, making sure to replace the vent. He exited the warehouse via the boarded up place the girls had gone through, though he had to make the space bigger to accommodate him.

Once outside, Raph looked up at the sky. It was so good to be outside instead of cooped up in the Lair waiting to see what the next day would bring.

Raph leapt from rooftop to rooftop, enjoying the way the wind blew his mask tails. He did flips and cartwheels while still listening for any activity. As he navigated one rooftop for another, he discovered he wasn't the only one who had come to get some fresh air.

"Hey, Angel, what are you doing here?" he asked.

The purple-haired girl turned around with a look of disgust on her face, but it changed to a smile when she saw who was there. "I could ask you the same thing," she replied. "You get in a fight with Leo?"

Raphael laughed. "No, not this time," he said. "I'm just upset 'cause my little sister's missing. She was kidnapped today."

"Sister?" repeated Angel. "I didn't know you had a sister. Did Splinter find her in the sewers, too?"

"Not exactly," Raph replied. "We met them after they were cornered by Purple Dragons. They originally came from Rosewood Orphanage." Then he proceeded to tell Angel the girls' story just as the girls had related it to the Turtles and Splinter.

"Karai wanted to adopt one of them?" gasped Angel. "I'd have run away, too. Mind you, I sort of did when I was gonna be a Purple Dragon. I hated the idea of living with Grandma, and I wanted my parents back. I felt life wasn't fair until I met you guys. I know how those girls feel. Why aren't the other guys with you?"

"Master Splinter wants us to wait for a few days and let the cops handle it. He thinks if we bust her out now, the cops will get suspicious."

"And you're out here to bust her out yourself," guessed Angel.

"Wrong," said Raph. "I'm just out looking for any information about where she may be at Foot Headquarters. I was just going over there when I saw you up here. So, what's the deal?"

"I kinda got into a fight at school," confessed Angel. "This guy kept trying to ask me out, but I kept saying no. Well, he didn't like that and got ready to punch me after I refused him this time. Before he could touch me, I kicked him where he'd remember it forever. Of course, I was the one who got in trouble for that. I've been suspended for three days, and Grandma grounded me for three weeks. I just got sick of being in my room and came out here for some air."

"Well, I guess you've had your fair share of excitement," said Raph. "But, wait, school's over. What are you doing in school over the summer?"

"I failed math and have to take it over in the summer," said Angel. "This way, I won't have to do it in the fall. If I wasn't grounded, I'd ask Donnie for some help."

"You could always e-mail him," suggested Raphael. "Don's good about checking his e-mail."

"Well, I was kinda grounded from the Internet, too," laughed Angel. "Grandma did say that I could use it for research, but she forgets that I'm just taking math. She's getting kinda forgetful lately, and it scares me a little bit. If anything happens to her I guess I'll be sent to an orphanage, too."

"No, you won't," said Raph. "If anything happens you could always live with Ryan or with us. You won't be alone."

Hearing that made Angel feel good. Before she'd met the Turtles, Angel had felt she had nobody to turn to, which was why she'd wanted to join the Purple Dragons. Luckily, the Turtles and Casey had stopped her from making a huge mistake. Now she wanted to help Raph and his brothers find their sister.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"Keep your eyes and ears peeled," replied Raph. "If you see or hear anything suspicious, you call us and let us know."

"I will," promised Angel. "Are you gonna do any searching tonight?"

Raph shook his head. "I thought about scoping things out, but I figure if I do that, Leo will tear me a new one."

Angel laughed. "Yeah, probably," she said. "So, how about if you come to my place to hang out a bit?"

"Sounds good to me," said Raph.

The two of them headed to Angel's house and snuck in through Angel's room. Raph was afraid that Angel's grandma would hear them, but Angel assured him that her grandma was a heavy sleeper.

As they made their way to the kitchen, Raph couldn't help but be amazed at the inside of Angel's house. While it wasn't opulent, it still had the atmosphere of a family home. Up on the wall were photographs of Angel and her brother with their grandmother as well as a few with dark-haired man and woman.

"Those are my parents," Angel said when she saw what Raph was looking at.

"Yeah, I figured that," Raph responded. "Your mom's pretty. You've got her eyes."

Angel blushed at the compliment. The only one who ever said stuff like that was her grandma. She didn't think she was as pretty as her mother had been but had always felt average looking. Still, it was nice that someone else thought she was like her mom.

Raph noticed how uncomfortable she looked about his remark. "Uh, let's go get a drink," he said hoping he hadn't offended her.

"Okay," she agreed and led him to the kitchen. She went to the refrigerator and took out two cans of soda, tossing one to Raph. He caught it easily and popped the tab, taking a long gulp.

"So, after seeing how I live, what do you think?" Angel asked him.

"It's a good place to live," Raph replied. "You're lucky to have a place like this."

"Yeah, I guess," Angel told him. "But sometimes I feel like Grandma and I deserve better. I just wish I could do more for her and that we lived in a better place."

"You know, Destiny told me the same thing," Raph replied. "She said when she was in the orphanage, she often wished she had it better. I really hope that you find what you're looking for. If you keep working hard, you'll get what you want. Get those grades up so you can finish school, understand?"

"Yeah, I do," Angel answered. She was so happy to have four other big brothers who looked out for her. She knew they had her best interests at heart. How could she resent them for that?

Raph finished his pop and stood up. "Look, I gotta go," he said. "I don't want to have to hear Leo lecture me or whatever. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay, Raph," said Angel. "I'll let you know if I hear anything about Kaia. Good luck on finding her."

"Thanks, Angel," said Raph. "See you later."

When he arrived back at the Lair, he noticed that Destiny was still asleep. That was a good sign. At least he wouldn't have to answer questions about his whereabouts. He thought about going down to check on Leo but decided it was too late at night. Leo would just question Raph, and he wasn't in the mood for that. Instead, he decided to get as much sleep as he could before he had to wake up for morning practice.

Over the next few days, things remained the same. The police had no leads, even though April told them about Karai. They confronted April and told her that Karai was a good woman with no ties to any illegal activity.

"That's a load of shit," growled Raph. "Karai ain't a good woman at all. She only cares about herself."

"Raphael, watch your language!" Splinter chastised. "I know this is frustrating, but there is not much we can do now."

"Yes, we can," Raph retorted. "We can go in there and help our sister."

"We need a plan first, Raph," Leo pointed out. "Just barging in isn't going to help Kaia. We need to think things through."

Don went to his computer and brought up a schematic for Foot Headquarters he'd saved after their last invasion. "More than likely, there will be heavier security," he said. "Karai's not stupid enough to think we won't be coming for Kaia. She'll find a way to thwart us at any cost."

"So, all we have to do is one-up her, right?" Raph asked.

"Not exactly," Don replied. "We don't really know what she may have planned, so all we can do is be ready for anything. April, you and Mariel should man the computer station and alert us if there are any traps. Raph, Mikey, and I will go in the Battle Shell to rescue Kaia."

"But Karai's gonna have a whole army of Foot Ninjas," protested Mikey. "There's no way the three of us can take them."

"That's where I come in," said a voice. They turned to see Casey Jones with his golf bag and hockey mask in place. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized. "Traffic was a little congested."

"Sweet!" exclaimed Mikey. "Now we can really kick butt."

"Guys, maybe I can come along and be a lookout," suggested Leo. "Then I could warn you if anyone tries to stop you."

"And what happens if the Foot spot you?" asked Casey. "You've got a bad ankle. There's no way you can fight."

"Yes, I can," said Leo. "I can fight them off with my crutches and my good ankle."

Casey smiled. "Yeah, you could do that," he said. "But the Foot could always do this." And before Leo could react, Casey lodged his hockey stick in Leo's right crutch and pulled, causing it to fall. With only one crutch to balance with it was hard for Leo to try to reach for a katana. Raph hurried over to steady him before he fell.

"Casey's got a point, bro," he said. "You're in no condition to fight." He led Leo to the couch and retrieved his other crutch.

"Well, maybe Destiny and I can go," Lisa said.

"Yeah, we can take on the Foot," Destiny added.

"No!" Splinter said firmly. "It is too dangerous, my daughters."

"But, Sensei, we can fight!" Lisa protested. "We've worked really hard. Please let us go."

Splinter shook his head. "I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to put yourselves in danger," he said. "Yes, you have been doing well, but you are not ready to take on an opponent as skilled as the Foot. It is best if you remain here where you will be safe."

Destiny opened her mouth to protest, but Lisa elbowed her in the side and gave her a look of warning. Destiny shot her sister an angry look and stormed up to her and Raph's room. Lisa apologized to Splinter, wished the Turtles and Casey good luck, and headed upstairs to talk to Destiny.

"Okay, I think we're set," Don said. "Let's go rescue Kaia."

"Be safe," Splinter said as he embraced his sons. As he watched them leave, he couldn't help but think about what would happen if they didn't come back. Shaking the thought from his mind, the old rat went into his chambers to see if he could contact Kaia via the astral plane.

Meanwhile, Destiny was looking at the wall and searching for the secret doorway to the passage Raph had used. She was concentrating so hard , she didn't hear Lisa come in.

"What are you doing?" Lisa asked her.

Destiny glared at her. "I'm looking for the secret passage Raph used last night," she replied.

"Why?" Lisa inquired.

"Because I'm gonna go out there and rescue Kaia," Destiny answered. "There's no sense in staying here when we can be out there helping.'

"Master Splinter said we have to stay in the Lair," Lisa told her.

Destiny fixed Lisa with a hard stare. "Listen, Kaia's our sister, too," she said. "We promised each other we'd stick together no matter what. So, do you wanna sit in the Lair and do nothing, or do you wanna go rescue your sister?"

Lisa hesitated. She remembered the promise the five of them had made in the orphanage that they'd stick together no matter what and stand up for one another if any of them were in trouble. But Master Splinter had told them to stay in the Lair, and they would be in trouble if Splinter caught them. She thought about just letting Destiny go alone, but that would be a terrible thing to do.

She sighed. "Okay, I'll come with you," she replied. "But if we get in trouble, it's your fault."

Destiny accepted that, but she had a feeling they wouldn't get in trouble if they were fast enough. "Aha!" she said happily as she spotted the secret passage.

"Maybe we should go down and get some weapons just in case," Lisa suggested.

"No way," Destiny replied. "If we do that, Leo's bound to ask questions. We know enough to fight without weapons, and we can always improvise if we need to. Now, let's go."

Lisa sighed again and followed her sister into the passage, making sure to shut the door. Then they set off to rescue their sister, hoping they weren't too late.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. I don't know when the next one will be up. It'll depend on when I'm in the mood to type it up and post it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm sorry for the long delay and hope that this chapter makes up for it. Feel free to leave a review, and, as always, have a shell-tastic day!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Rescue

A/N: And here's chapter eight. Only two more chapters to go after this one, and the story will be finished. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed it thus far. It's because of you that I'm continuing this story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles or any characters associated with them. I own the plot and The Hamato Sisters.

Karai sat in her office thinking about all that had happened so far. She couldn't believe the police had the nerve to investigate her and ask her questions about Kaia. Luckily, she had a lot of influence within the city and was able to send the police away. Still, she was very upset about it. No doubt the Turtles' friend April O'Neil had been behind it. She knew the Turtles would stop at nothing to rescue Kaia, which was why she had to send Kaia to Japan. If she was gone, the Turtles would have a harder time rescuing her.

Suddenly, one of her assistants came bursting through the door, a panicked look on his face. "Mistress Karai, we have a security breach!" he cried.

"The Turtles!" she hissed, her green eyes flashing with anger. "Send all available Foot Ninjas to the entrance! Make sure they do not pass!"

"Yes, Mistress," the assistant said, bowing low. Then he hurried out of the room to carry out her command.

Karai knew there was no time to waste. She had to get Kaia away from them. Picking up the phone, she made a call to the airport to request a flight that would leave for Japan tonight. The receptionist said that the only flight available was for nine in the morning. Karai really didn't want to take that flight, but she knew it was the only way to get out of the city.

"All right, I will take that one," Karai said. After she hung up the phone, she decided to join the Foot Ninjas in fighting the Turtles. They had been thorns in her side long enough.

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Kaia sat alone in her room, thinking about the training session she'd had earlier with Karai. She really hated these lessons which were so different from the ones Master Splinter had with them. One of the things Kaia hated the most was how Karai would slap her if she did a move wrong and order her to do it again. Splinter never did such a thing to them. He would sometimes hit Mikey with his stick if he was goofing off, but he wouldn't hit anyone if they got a move wrong. Instead, he would gently correct them and ask them to perform the move again. Why didn't Karai do this instead of hurting her?

A wave of determination swept over Kaia. She couldn't stay her any longer! She needed to get home quickly.

But how was she to escape? She went to the window and opened it. No, that was out of the question because it was too high, and she could fall.

Then her eyes fell on the vent. If she could open it, there'd be a way for her to escape. It would be dark in there, but Kaia knew she had to maser her fear just like Leo did. She kicked open the vent and made her way inside, making sure to replace the vent so no one would know how she escaped.

Then she set out to find her way home.

22222

Leonardo was flipping through channels to take his mind off things. But even though he tried not to think of Kaia or his brothers, they would keep entering his thoughts like a persistent fly who wouldn't stop buzzing. He just hoped that Kaia could be rescued without any complications.

Just then Splinter came out of his room. "Leonardo, have you seen Lisa and Destiny?" he asked.

"No, Sensei," Leo replied. "I thought Destiny went up to her room and Lisa went with her."

"I shall go and see," Splinter declared, and he went upstairs. A few minutes later, he came back down, a look of anger on his face. "They are gone," he reported. "Are you sure you did not see them leave?"

"I'm positive, Sensei," Leo answered. "I would have heard them if they left in the elevator or out the front door."

"Then they obviously found another way of leaving," Splinter said. "I am going to look for them, and when they get home, they will be grounded for a month." He put on a brown trench coat and hat he used whenever he went topside. Leo wished his father good luck and watched him leave the Lair in a very angry mood. He had a feeling that Lisa and Destiny would never live this down when they got back.

22222

The Battle Shell roared along as it made its way to Foot Headquarters. Tension was high as they all thought about how they were going to rescue Kaia. It seemed impossible, but they had to try it. There was no other alternative.

Donatello was filled with anxiety. He had never been in the role of leader before, a role that his blue-clad brother filled with such pride. Don knew he could never fill his brother's shoes and was worried about this mission. If it failed, Kaia was lost to them, and Don would be responsible for it.

"Don, are you there?" April asked, snapping the purple-clad Turtle out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm here," Don said. "We're getting close to Foot Headquarters. I'm going to park the Battle Shell in the alley, and we'll make our way on foot."

"Roger that, Don," replied April. "Let me know when you get in."

"Will do, April," said Don.

"So, what's the plan, Donnie?" asked Raph.

"You and Casey are going to distract the Foot on the ground," replied Don. "Mikey and I are going into the ventilation shafts to see if we can find Kaia's location. It's the easiest way to find her."

"Sounds good to me, Don," said Casey.

"Good," replied Don. He parked the Battle Shell into the closest alley, and they headed to the tower on foot. When they approached the place, they didn't see any guards there, which was weird. However, Don knew that they were probably waiting inside for them.

Sure enough, as the Turtles and Casey entered, they were surrounded by a swarm of Foot Ninjas, katanas drawn. Without hesitating, the Turtles and Casey jumped into the fight. As Don fought five Foot Ninjas, his eyes searched for the ventilation shafts. Once he spotted them, he signaled to Mikey who nodded in understanding. The two of them pulled smoked pellets out of their belts and threw them on the ground, enveloping the Ninjas in smoke. When the smoke cleared, Mikey and Donnie were nowhere to be seen.

"Nice work, Don," Mikey whispered from their hiding place.

"Thanks," Don whispered back. "Now, let's go find Kaia."

22222

Lisa and Destiny were running through the streets trying to find Foot Headquarters. They looked for a sign of the Battle Shell, but they didn't see it at all. Lisa figured that the Turtles would make sure the Battle Shell couldn't be seen by people who would get suspicious.

"Where do you think they are?" Destiny asked.

"Probably at Foot Headquarters," Lisa replied. She scanned the street for signs of something familiar. "I can't find anything!" she complained. "Let's just go back."

"No way," Destiny declared. "We didn't sneak out of the Lair for nothing." She took Lisa's hand and led her down the street until they spotted Foot Headquarters. Destiny led Lisa into a clump of bushes.

"Okay, now what?" Lisa asked.

Destiny shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "What do you think we should do?"

Lisa sighed in frustration. "This was your idea!" she replied. "You should have a plan."

Destiny was about to say something back, but she was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. The two girls turned to see Master Splinter standing behind them with an unhappy look on his face. He was lashing his tail, a sign that he was angry with them.

"Oh, hi, Master Splinter," Lisa said. "Um, I bet you're wondering why we're here. Well, Destiny wanted to help, and I knew I couldn't let her come alone, so I came too. I know you told us not to leave the Lair, but you need to know that our intentions were good and not pointless. We're sorry we've upset you, and we'll take whatever punishment you give us."

"I understand, my daughters," Splinter said firmly. "You know I am disappointed that you went against my orders. Both of you are grounded for a month, and you will also be writing an essay on how you should always obey your father's orders. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sensei," both girls replied.

"Good," Splinter said. "Now, you will be coming with me."

"We're going back to the Lair, aren't we?" Destiny asked.

Splinter smiled at her. "No, we are not," he told her. He led both of them to the alley where the Battle Shell was parked. "You will both wait here where it's safe," he said. "I am going to assist your brothers. You are not to leave the Battle Shell, and if you do, I will increase your grounding to three months. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sensei," said both girls.

"Be careful, Master Splinter," cautioned Lisa.

"I will be fine, my daughter," said Splinter. He gave them each a hug and left to help rescue Kaia.

22222

"Man, they just keep coming," panted Casey as he blocked a katana with his hockey stick. "Makes you wish we had some backup, huh, Raph?"

"No kidding," grunted Raph as he took down a Foot Ninja with a roundhouse kick. "I dunno what Don was thinking when he decided to ditch us like that."

"Neither do I," agreed Casey. "There's no way we're gonna be able to defeat these guys. Maybe we should retreat."

"That would be an unwise choice, Mr. Jones," said a voice. Both of them turned to see Master Splinter leap into the fray, taking out three Foot Ninjas with his walking stick.

"Master Splinter, what the shell are you doing here?" asked Raph.

"Two of your sisters decided to try to sneak off and assist you," replied Splinter. "I followed them to stop them from making a big mistake."

"Are they okay?" inquired Casey.

"Yes, they are safe," said Splinter.

"Well, now that you're here we can get this done faster," said Raph. "Let's kick some Foot butt."

22222

"Dude, are you sure you know where you're going?" asked Mikey.

"Of course I do," snapped Don. "Why would you even doubt me?"

Mikey held up his hands in a diffensive gesture. "Whoa, hold up, Donnie," he said. "I was just making sure."

"Well, stop it," begged Don. "I'm under enough pressure as it is. Let's just keep going. We're bound to find her soon."

22222

Kaia wasn't sure which way to go. Everything had been going smoothly until she reached a fork in the vents. Both paths looked promising, but Kaia knew that either one of them could produce a dead end. She sat and thought about her choices. It she went left, that would probably take her up further rather than down, but if she went right, it would take her down to where she needed to be. If she ran into a dead end, she would just retrace her steps and go the other way.

She turned right and kept on crawling. So far, so good. There didn't seem to be any obstacles blocking her path. Kaia knew she shouldn't think like that, but with the Foot you never knew what might come up. She remembered Leo telling her about the traps they'd encountered the first time they had entered Foot Headquarters. It was best to be careful.

Just when she thought things were looking up, she came to another fork. Okay, now what was she going to do?

"Dude, my shell's starting to cramp up," said a voice.

"Mikey, stop complaining!" snapped a second voice. "I'm trying to get my bearings."

Kaia's heart gave a leap. She knew those voices. "Don! Mikey! I'm over here!" she called.

"Kaia, is that you?" Don called back.

"Yeah, it's me," Kaia replied. "I don't know which way to go!"

"Turn left," Don told her. "We're at the end. You'll be able to see us."

Kaia did as he said and saw both of them waving at her. She hurried over to them and gave them a big hug. "Thank you for coming," she said. "I was afraid you wouldn't come."

"We'd never ditch you, Kaia," Mikey told her. "We're a family."

"Okay, we need to get out of here," Don said. He turned on his headset. "April, we found Kaia," he reported. "Can you find us a quick exit so we don't have to retrace our steps?"

"Yeah, hang on," April responded. There was a pause as April scanned the schematics. "Okay, I found one," she said. "Go back a few paces and make a right. Keep going to the end, and you'll see a vent that should lead you out to the roof. It's not a huge drop, but you'll still have to scale down."

"Thanks, April," Don said. He led Mikey and Kaia to the vent April had indicated. Don kicked it out and made his way onto the roof. Mikey came after him carrying Kaia. Don took out a grappling hook and attached it to the roof making sure that it was securely on. Before he went down, he turned the headset back on. "Raph, we have Kaia," he reported. "We're on the roof and are going down. Meet us at the Battle Shell."

"Roger that, Don," Raph replied.

Don started descending making sure to go slow. Mikey waited to make sure Don made it down to safety. Once Don was down, Mikey made his way down with Kaia on his back. The orange-clad Turtle knew about Kaia's fear of heights and whispered soothing words in her ear until they reached the ground.

"Going somewhere?" a voice asked them. They turned to see Karai flanked by a few Foot Ninjas.

Don gaped at her. "How did you know we were here?" he asked.

"I could hear you in the vents," replied Karai. "I knew that you were coming to this location. Perhaps you should be more discreet when talking to your allies. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The choice is up to you."

"We're not giving you Kaia," declared Don, pulling out his bo staff and taking a fighting stance. Mikey pulled Kaia behind him and pulled out his nun chucks.

"Then it will be the hard way," said Karai, pulling out a katana. The Foot followed her, closing in on the Turtles and the girl. Karai felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins. This was her one chance to defeat the Turtles and reclaim what was rightfully hers. "Foot Ninja, attack," she ordered.

The Foot leapt into action, but Don and Mikey were ready for the fight. They parried katana blows and managed to take out at least three of the Ninjas. Throughout the fight, Karai just stood by and watched. She wanted to witness her enemies' defeat before she claimed Kaia as her own. She had no reason to join the fight because her ninjas would finish the job. Then she would move on and defeat the others when she found them.

Meanwhile, Kaia was watching Karai to see if the woman would try to go for her. When she saw that Karai wasn't going to budge, Kaia focused on her brothers. She had seen them fight many times in practice, but this was very different. There was desperation in their movements, a desperation to protect their sister and bring her home safely. Mikey wasn't smiling or making jokes, a sign that he was keen to get out of there soon.

Then Kaia noticed that one of Don's pouches was open. She watched as one of the smoke bombs fell out of the pouch and to the ground. The only reason it didn't activate right then was because Don had made sure the bombs wouldn't go off if they fell on the floor. This modification was made after he accidentally knocked one off his desk, causing smoke to fill his lab and the Lair. It had taken them four days to get rid of the stench.

Kaia rushed forward and picked up the smoke bomb, waiting for the right time to throw it. She didn't want to hurt her brothers, but she knew they had to get out of there soon. She watched as her brothers took down the rest of the Foot Ninjas and exchange a high three. But just when they thought they'd won, the Foot Elite appeared in a puff of smoke, causing Mikey to let out a groan.

"You did not think I would let you escape that easily, did you?" laughed Karai. "If you can defeat the Elite Ninja, you may leave with the girl. If you fail, you will be destroyed, and the girl will go with me."

Don considered what she was saying. He knew for a fact that it was impossible to defeat the Foot Elite. They were too fast and way too strong. Plus, there was Kaia, who would be put in danger. There was no way he'd allow that. But how would they get out of this?

Out of the corner of his eye, Mikey saw Kaia holding one of the smoke bombs. He nudged Don and pointed this out to him as discreetly as he could. The purple-clad Turtle responded and started backing toward Kaia until he was right next to her with Mikey beside him.

"I'm sorry, Karai, but we have to decline your offer," he said. "Kaia, now!"

Kaia nodded and threw the smoke bomb down, obscuring their view of the Foot Elite and Karai. Then they ran for it while Donnie kept throwing smoke bombs so they wouldn't be seen. Don told Raph where they were and told him to bring the Battle Shell to their location. In no time at all the armored van arrived, and the three of them got in. Raph jammed his foot on the accelerator while Don looked back to make sure they weren't being followed.

Lisa gave Kaia a big hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she said.

"Thanks for coming to rescue me," said Kaia.

"No problem," replied Destiny. "That's what family's for."

When they arrived at the Lair, Kaia was greeted with many hugs. Kaylee was crying and apologized for not staying with her. Kaia told her that it wasn't her fault and that she didn't blame her for anything. April and Casey decided to go home but promised they would come back the next day for a celebration.

"I suggest that we all go to bed," suggested Splinter. "It has been a long day. Leonardo, you are welcome to sleep on the couch if you would like to."

"Thank you, Sensei," said Leo.

"Can I sleep down here, too?" asked Kaia.

"Yes, you may," replied Splinter. He felt it would be a good idea for Kaia to have some company considering the terrible ordeal she had been through.

Kaia went upstairs to get her sleeping bag and brought down a blanket for Leo. As she spread out her things, she couldn't help feeling glad that she was home. It had been horrible at Foot Headquarters with no one to talk to. She tucked Leo in and then settled down to sleep. Before she closed her eyes, she looked around the room with a sigh of contentment. She was home and safe at last.

A/N: Whoo Hoo! Another chapter is finally done. Don't forget that there are two more chapters left and then this story is complete. Feel free to leave a review after reading this chapter. And, as always, have a shell-tastic day!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Healing River

A/N: Well, one more chapter after this one and this story will be complete. I want to thank those who have read and reviewed the story so far. Your kind words and encouragement are the reason I have continued with this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT or any characters associated with them. I own the plot and The Hamato Sisters.

The boat made its way out of New York Harbor heading for Japan. The sky was clear and filled with stars. The crew went about their business, not knowing that they had ten stowaways on their boat. Splinter had suggested that they take a well deserved vacation to Japan to see the Ancient One. The girls had never met him before and were eager to see the man who had raised Master Yoshi.

Lisa and Destiny were glad that they were reprieved from their punishment, though Raphael was still upset with them. Splinter had asked how the girls had snuck out, and Destiny had revealed the secret passage in Raph's room. Splinter had ordered that it be sealed shut, which was the cause for Raph's anger. Splinter had also punished Raph for keeping the passage a secret.

"Are we there yet?" Kaylee whined. She wasn't happy to be sitting in such a cramped space.

"No, it will take us a few days to get there," Splinter replied.

"Why couldn't we have flown in a plane?" Kaylee asked.

"Because it would be hard to disguise ourselves from the humans," Splinter told her. "You must be patient."

Kaylee sighed and sulked. She didn't want to be patient. She wanted to get off of the boat. She looked around to see what the others were doing. Lisa and Mariel were reading, Destiny was listening to her portable CD player, Kaia was staring out the window, Donnie was on his laptop, Mikey was reading a comic, and Raph was looking at a wrestling magazine. Well, at least they were amusing themselves. She had nothing to keep her amused.

"Hey, Kay, why don't you try drawing something?" Mikey suggested. He handed her a pad of paper and a pencil.

Kaylee took the items and set to work. She drew pictures of her sisters, brothers, Klunk, and Splinter. Even though the drawings weren't as good as a professional artist's were, they were still good. After she finished drawing the pictures, she colored them in with some colored pencils Mikey had brought.

Splinter was happy that Kaylee had found something to amuse herself with. He was anxious to get back to Japan to see his sensei's home country and Yoshi's own father. He thought that getting away from New York would be a good thing for his children. After Kaia's capture and rescue emotions had been tense within the Lair. Kaia continued to have nightmares after her ordeal, causing everyone else to lose sleep because of them. He hoped that the visit to the Ancient One would help to heal Kaia's wounds and boost her morale.

After the boat docked, the ten stowaways got off the ship using the ninja stealth they were noted for. Then they set out for the Ancient One's temple. Kaylee was upset that they had to walk ("Can't we rent a car?"), but one look from Splinter silenced her complaints. The other girls exclaimed at the scenery and how beautiful everything was. Kaia secretly wished she could stay there forever.

When they arrived at the Ancient One's temple, he came outside to greet them and was surprised to see that five girls had accompanied Splinter and his sons. He was curious about them, and they were curious about him. Destiny guessed that the Ancient One had to be a hundred years old.

"Welcome to my home," the Ancient One said. "It is so good to see you." He bowed to Splinter and the Turtles. Then he looked at the girls. "I see you have brought some others as well," he said. "Are you trying to follow in my footsteps, Splinter-san?"

Splinter smiled. "Well, I did not intend to follow your lead, Ancient One," he replied. "These five girls were in need of assistance, so I took them in and gave them a home."

"Very admirable, Splinter-san," the Ancient One replied. "Come inside so you can tell me the tale of how these young ladies came into your care."

After they were finished unpacking their belongings, the Turtles, the girls, and Splinter followed the Ancient One to his kitchen where he gave them bowls of miso soup and green tea. Splinter told the Ancient One all about the girls' story and how they arrived at the Lair. The girls then introduced themselves to the old man, who bowed respectfully to each of them.

"Ancient One, what did you mean when you asked Splinter if he was trying to follow in your footsteps?" Mariel inquired.

The Ancient One chuckled. "Well, my dear, I was once a lonely man until I came upon two boys on the streets," he told her. "One of the boys had a yen I had dropped out of my pocket. These two boys were orphans and had nowhere to go." Then he proceeded to tell them of how he adopted Hamato Yoshi and Yukio Mashimi and how he adopted Tang Shen as his daughter.

"What happened to Shen and Mashimi?" Kaia asked.

"They both died," the Ancient One answered.

"How?" Kaylee asked.

"They were both killed," the Ancient One replied and would say no more.

"Come on, you have to know more," pressed Kaylee. "Why can't you tell us?"

"Kaylee, enough!" chastised Splinter. "The Ancient One does not feel it is a story for young ears to hear. Let us change the subject to something more suitable."

Kaylee wasn't satisfied with this answer, but she knew she couldn't pursue the subject. Instead, she ate her soup and came up with her own theories on Shen's and Mashimi's deaths.

Splinter told the Ancient One about Kaia's capture and rescue. The old man was angry and didn't bother to hide it.

"Accursed Foot!" he seethed. "Are there no lows they will not sink to?"

"I'm afraid not," Splinter said. "That is why I decided to come to Japan. I felt that a change in scenery was in order."

"How is the little one faring?" asked the Ancient One as his eyes settled on Kaia, who was talking to Leo.

Splinter sighed. "Not well, I am afraid," he said. "She has been having nightmares each night about her ordeal. We've tried everything, but the nightmares will not stop."

"Have you tried talking to her about it?" suggested the Ancient One.

"Yes, but she will not comply," replied Splinter.

"Perhaps I can assist you," said the Ancient One. "I will speak to her and see if she will open up to me."

After the meal was finished, the Ancient One took the girls on a tour of the temple. They were amazed at the size of the rooms and wondered if all of them were used. The Ancient One admitted that he didn't use all of the rooms, but he did make sure they were all cleaned.

Kaia wanted to go outside so Leo accompanied her. The Ancient One decided to follow them, hoping that he could speak to Kaia.

"This is such a beautiful place," Kaia commented. "The view is amazing." She gazed over the cliff where a river flowed below, making sure to stay away from the cliff's edge.

"Yes, the view is a good one," the Ancient One told her. "I often come here to meditate."

"I wish I could stay here," Kaia said wistfully. "I don't want to go back to New York."

"And why is that?" the Ancient One asked her.

"Because if I go back, I'll be reminded of what the Foot did to me. I want to forget what happened to me and for it to just be a dream and not real."

"I understand, little one," the Ancient One said. "But you cannot change what has happened, nor can you forget it. It will always be there in your mind."

"You mean I'll always have nightmares?" asked Kaia.

"No, those will go away in time," replied the Ancient One. "But you will always remember what happened to you."

"Isn't there a way to forget it?" asked Kaia.

"This reminds me of a story I once heard," said the Ancient One. "There was once a river which was said to have healing properties. Anyone who bathed in this river was immediately healed of whatever affliction they suffered. The local healer of the village was confused as to why the villagers stopped coming to see him for their ailments. He heard of the healing river and thought it was just a story. Then he witnessed the river's power for himself when one of the villagers bathed in it. He warned them not to depend on the river all the time, for it probably would not have these powers long. The villagers ignored him and continued to go to the river to be cured of their aliments. Then one day, there was a drought in the village, and the river dried up. The villagers were terrified for they had no way of relieving their suffering.

"Suddenly, they were relying on the doctor to heal them. The doctor laughed at them for being so foolish as to think they could depend on a river instead of a true healer such as himself. In the end, the villagers knew he was right and decided to consult him for their ailments instead of the river. In a few days, the drought was over, and the rain filled the river once again. But no villager ever went to the river to be healed again for they had learned their lesson. Instead, they used it to fetch water to drink. So, do you see the lesson, little one?"

Kaia thought about it and shook her head. "No, I don't," she replied.

"Leonardo, do you see the lesson?" the Ancient One asked the blue-clad Turtle.

"Yes, I do," Leonardo said. "The lesson is to trust in others. The villagers thought they could rely on the river to heal them instead of trusting in the doctor to do so. Because of this, they lost sight of what was really important, namely the fact that they had someone to heal them all along. They were blinded by their own selfish desires and wanted to seek help a different way."

"Very astute, Leonardo," praised the Ancient One. "And how does this lesson pertain to your sister?"

"Kaia needs the support of her family to aid her," replied Leo. "She shouldn't try to handle this herself. She needs to trust us and tell us how she feels."

"I'm not talking about what happened," said Kaia defiantly. "I'm not ready."

"You don't have to, Kaia," Leo told her. "But you need to know that you don't have to go through this alone."

"I know that, Leo," said Kaia. "I'm sorry. Thanks for telling me. And thank you, Ancient One, for telling me that story."

"You're welcome, little one," said the Ancient One. "Now, we had better go back inside. No doubt your brothers are causing some mischief."

Splinter insisted that they have evening practice despite the fact that they were on vacation. The Ancient One observed the practice and praised Splinter for being a good teacher. He was impressed with how much the Turtles knew and how quickly the girls had progressed in their lessons. Then he told them about how he trained Yoshi and Mashimi in the art of ninjitsu.

"Did you teach Tang Shen, too?" asked Lisa.

"No, women were not allowed to train in the martial arts," answered the Ancient One. "She would rather watch her brothers train than to do it herself. But that does not mean I am against you five training in ninjitsu. You are doing well and will make fine warriors one day."

After the Turtles and the girls went to bed, the Ancient One asked Splinter if he would like a cup of tea before bed. The rat agreed with a smile and followed his host into the kitchen.

"I must say, Splinter-san, you have done a wonderful job raising your sons and daughters," commented the Ancient One. "Your son, Leonardo, reminds me of my Yoshi. I remember how he would always repeat a kata until it was done correctly." A sad look came over the old man's face. "I'm sure Yoshi would have loved them."

"Yes, he would have," agreed Splinter. "He would have been proud of them as well." He sighed. "Every time I come back here, I feel the hole in my heart from his passing. It reminds me of how I want my sons to grow up without hate for each other. I do not want them to be like Yoshi and Mashimi were. That is why I have kept a close watch on Raphael and Leonardo."

"Do you think they would act in that way?" asked the Ancient One.

"I do not think they would act that way in terms of one seeking a mate," replied Splinter. "However, I often feel that Raphael resent that I have Leonardo as the leader. There are times when I fear Raphael will act as Mashimi did and cause strife with his brother. And yet, there are other times when they get along splendidly. I remember when Leonardo was ambushed by the Foot and how Raphael stayed by his side throughout his ordeal. When I see moments like that, my fears are alleviated."

"Then perhaps they will be different," speculated the Ancient One. "Only time will tell what may happen in the future."

"That is very true," said Splinter. "Fate often gives us a surprise we never expect, which is how I feel about my daughters."

"They seem very close," remarked the Ancient One. "And they are not really related?"

"No, they are not," said Splinter. "However, they have always considered themselves as sisters. Lisa has told me about how they would often feel alone when they would get rejected by a potential parent and how they sought comfort in each other. That is how they realized they belonged together as sisters. When Karai tried to adopt Kaia, they did not want her to separate them, which resulted in their departure from the orphanage and their accidental arrival to our home. Before that, my sons helped them when a group of Purple Dragons accosted them."

"And now they have a family of their own," said the Ancient One. "I'm sure they felt terrible when Kaia was captured by Karai."

"Yes, they were very upset and determined to help rescue her," said Splinter. "I am very thankful that she was rescued from the Foot's clutches."

"Yes, it is fortunate," replied the Ancient One. "However, you should proceed with caution, Splinter-san. I have a feeling Karai may try to seek revenge against you for what you have denied her."

Splinter thought about the Ancient One's words as he made his way upstairs. He knew that Karai would stop at nothing to avenge her defeat, but he also knew that they would stop her at any cost. Little did he know just what sort of revenge she would seek and what it would mean for Splinter and his children.

A/N: And this chapter is now done. One more to go, and this story will finally be completed. Feel free to leave a review once you have read the story. And, as always, have a shell-tastic day.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Lost and Found

A/N: So, here we are at the final chapter of this story. I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story since the beginning. Your kind words and encouragement have been greatly appreciated and have fueled me to continue with this story. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Enjoy the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT or any other characters associated with them. They are the property of Nickelodeon. I do own The Hamato Sisters and the plot of the story.

The New York sky was bright with stars, but they weren't visible because of light pollution. Cars passed by on the streets, their inhabitants anxious to reach whatever destination they planned on seeking. While others were relaxed in their apartments, trying to shake the stresses of the day, ten forms were jumping the rooftops on their way to their home.

As soon as Splinter surmised that the alley was clear, he motioned for his sons and daughters to come down. Then Leonardo lifted the manhole cover and led the way into the sewers. They chose to enter this way because it was less distinct than entering via the warehouse. As they made their way through the sewers, Splinter was on alert. He could sense that something wasn't right and was anxious to get home.

They were getting closer to the Lair, and Splinter's uneasiness increased. Suddenly, all his fur stood up, and he let out a gasp. He held up a hand to stop his children from coming any farther.

"What's wrong, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"Someone has been here," Splinter replied. "Get out your weapons and tread carefully."

The Turtles got out their weapons and held them in a battle stance as they approached. The girls came behind them, a look of worry in each of their eyes. All of them gasped as they beheld the ruins of what had once been their home. The beams that had supported the ceiling were severed, littering the floor and barring their way. Whatever else they could see was wrecked beyond repair.

"Who could have done this?" Kaia whimpered.

The answer to her question was draped over one of the beams. Leonardo picked up the black cloth and revealed the familiar Foot symbol. Raphael gave a growl of anger. He wanted to punch something, but there was nothing left to hit.

"Do you think we can lift these beams?" Leo asked Don.

"We can try, but it would be too dangerous now," replied Don. "I think we should wait and maybe ask Casey and Leatherhead to help. It would be easier to have extra hands to help us."

"Where will we stay?" asked Kaylee.

"I'm sure April will give us a place to stay," said Lisa. "I'll call her." She pulled out her shell cell and dialed April's number. The redhead was a little upset at being woken up at the early hour, but her attitude changed once Lisa explained the situation to her.

"Of course, you can stay here," she said. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Not at the moment," said Lisa. "But if we think of anything, we'll let you know." She hung up and relayed the news to everyone else.

"Whoo Hoo!" cheered Mikey. "It'll be like old times. We can watch movies, roast marshmallows, and tell scary ghost stories."

"Mikey, aren't you sad that our home's destroyed?" Kaylee asked him.

"Yeah, it sucks, but I know there's another home out there for us," Mikey replied. "When the mousers attacked our first Lair, Master Splinter found this one for us. I'm sure he'll find us another home."

"I am sure we will all find a decent home, Michelangelo," Splinter corrected him. "For now, I think we should go to Miss O'Neil's so we do not keep her waiting."

April welcomed them into her home, a look of sympathy on her face. "I'm so sorry about your home," she said. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

"We are deeply sorry for our intrusion, Miss O'Neil," Splinter told her. "I hope that we will not overstay our welcome."

"It's fine, Master Splinter," April replied. "I'll go get you some bedding."

"You don't need to, April," Leo said. "We have what we need here." He gestured to his knapsack.

"Oh, that's good," April said with a smile. "Then just make yourselves at home. I'll see you in the morning. Well, in daylight anyway since it is morning."

Everyone wished her goodnight and set up their sleeping bags. But not everyone drifted off to sleep. One member of the family was too restless as he tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. He got out of his sleeping bag and went to the window. As he looked out at the apartment buildings surrounding April's, he was angry that they were denied a home because of the Foot. Opening the window, he started to leave when a voice stopped him.

"Going somewhere, Raph?" it said.

Raph whirled around, annoyed that someone had interrupted him. "Stay out of this, Leo," he said.

"I'm not gonna let you get yourself killed," Leo stated, folding his arms over his chest.

"I don't need a baby-sitter, Leo," growled Raph. "I can handle myself."

"I know that, but this isn't right," replied Leo.

"So, you want me to just sit here and let the Foot get away with destroying our home?" asked Raph.

"If we are to succeed against our foes we need to act as a team, not as rash individuals," explained Leo.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"It's what Splinter told me before I went on my training run three years ago," answered Leo. "He thought I was going to scout the Lair alone."

Raph was surprised that Splinter would suspect Leo of doing that. "Were you?" he asked.

"No, I wasn't," replied Leo. "But I know what he was trying to say. I just don't want you to end up like I did three years ago."

The anger left Raph's face at Leo's words. "Bro, I wasn't gonna go do anything to the Foot," he said. "I was just gonna do some patrolling."

"Raph, you know I don't believe you," said Leo with a smile. "Look, I know you're upset, but you shouldn't do this alone. I learned a good lesson three years ago."

"What's that?"

"You can be a good ninja on your own, but you can't defeat the enemy without some help," he said.

Raph sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said. Then he smiled. "You want to go out?"

Leo laughed. "Sure," he said. "I bet I can beat you to that rooftop over there."

Raph punched his brother playfully on the shoulder. "Yeah, right," he said. "I bet I can beat you. And, Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"If you mention this conversation to anyone, I"ll beat the shell out of you."

Leo smiled, knowing his brother didn't mean it. That was just the way he was. "My lips are sealed," he said. "Race you!" And he sprinted off with Raph following at his heels, glad to have some company this night.

22222

"Ouch! Watch it, Mikey!" chastised Leo as he got hit with one of Mikey's nun chucks.

"Sorry, Leo," apologized Mikey. "I just wish we had a bigger room to practice in."

"I agree that Miss O'Neil's basement is fairly small, but it is the only place we have," said Splinter. "We must make use of what we have and be thankful that there is a place to practice."

"I get all that, Sensei, but why can't we just go to the farmhouse and practice in the barn?" asked Raph.

"Casey's mom is staying there for a few weeks," answered Don.

"Maybe we could try to rent an apartment," suggested Destiny.

"You need a security deposit and first month's rent up front to do that," pointed out Lisa. "There's no way that'll happen."

"And with ten of us, we couldn't rent an apartment big enough," added Mariel. "Plus, with five of us not being human it would be impossible to hide where no one could see."

"What about Leatherhead?" suggested Kaia. "Would he be able to have us stay?"

"No, he has too much stuff in his lab," replied Don. "Plus, he has Professor Honeycutt staying with him, too." Then his eyes lit up. "But maybe he CAN help us out."

"How?" inquired Kaylee.

"He can explore the sewers and see if there's a place for us to stay," answered Don.

"Good idea!" exclaimed Mikey. "He's pretty good at finding things in the sewers. Call him up, Donnie."

So Don called Leatherhead and explained the situation to him. The crocodile was very sympathetic and said that he was happy to assist them. He promised to report to Don if he found anything significant. But before he could hang up, Professor Honeycutt interjected that he remembered seeing an abandoned pumping station down in the sewers.

"Really?" gasped Don. "Where is it?"

"Well, I don't remember the exact location of it, but I do know that it is far from your old home," replied Professor Honeycutt. "That way, no enemies would be able to track you down."

"Thanks, Professor," said Don. "You're a life saver. We'll check it out tonight."

"Glad to be of service, Donatello," said the Professor. "I hope you find what you are looking for. Goodbye for now."

"'Bye, and thanks again," said Don. After he hung up, he reported to the others what the Professor had told him and was greeted with cheers. The girls wanted to check it out right away, but Splinter reminded them that it was still daylight and that the search would have to wait until evening.

"What's going on, guys?" asked April as she came out of her room.

"We think we've found a new home," replied Don and told her the good news.

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed April. "I'm so happy for you. Do you need help moving in?"

"Sure, we could use all the help we can get," said Don. "First we have to check the place out to make sure it's safe. Then we'll have to salvage whatever's available from our old Lair and bring it to the new one."

April put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll help in any way I can," she said.

He smiled at her. "Thanks, April," he replied. "You're a good friend."

Her heart lifted at his words. She was glad to be a friend to them and to aid them in their time of need. After all, they had aided her many times and hadn't asked for anything in return. It was time for her to return the favor.

That evening, the Hamato family set out in search of the abandoned pumping station. Once they found it, they opened the door cautiously and stepped into the massive structure. It was even bigger than their old Lair. Immediately, they began exploring the place and seeing what use it would be for them. Mikey claimed his room and stated that no one could come in without his permission. The others found their rooms and saw that the girls could even have separate rooms instead of sharing with the Turtles. They also found an adequate space for a dojo, and Donatello was ecstatic when he saw the workspace that would be his laboratory. Yes, things were definitely looking up.

It was hard to go back to their old home and to see the devastation the Foot had caused, but it had to be done. What items could be recovered and used were brought back, while items that were destroyed beyond repair were left alone. They had to make frequent trips because they couldn't carry everything in one load. Leatherhead, Professor Honeycutt, April, and Casey aided them during the moving process, which helped a great deal. The friends also procured items they knew the family would need in their home. Needless to say, the Hamato family was grateful for all of the help they received.

It took some time to make the pumping station feel like home, but they managed to do it. Once it was finished they had a housewarming party with all of their friends. Everyone was laughing and happy as they danced and ate the food that had been provided. Leonardo noticed that Kaia was sitting on the floor away from everyone.

"What's wrong, Kaia?" he asked her.

"Nothing," replied Kaia. "I was just thinking about everything we've been through. It seems like yesterday that we were in an orphanage with only ourselves to rely on. Now we have a family and a place to call our own. I guess you were right when you said that support is the best thing to have. I can't deny that I'm sad about our old home, but I'm happy to have what I didn't have before."

"We're a family, Kaia," said Leo. "No matter what happens we have each other."

"Forever," said Kaia. Then she took Leo's hand, and they joined the celebration of a new home and of family.

The End

A/N: And so this story has come to a close. I decided to have the Lair attacked in this story later on because season four hadn't happened while I was writing this at first, so I wanted a bit of a transition. This is basically my own universe anyway, so I wanted to change things up a bit. And the reason I didn't have Karai and the Foot waiting for them when they got home was because I didn't want to do another fight scene so soon after the battle to rescue Kaia. I just thought it would be too much of a hassle for me, so I skipped that part. While this story may be over, it isn't the end of my characters. I'm going to make two other stories that will be a part of the Forever Family series, so you'll be seeing these characters again along with some other adventures and new characters. So stay tuned for that. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading, and, as always, have a shell-tastic day.


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